Price of Ellicott City flood prevention project balloons to $130 million

The price of a flood prevention project in Ellicott City which saw two major flooding events in 2016 and 2018, has skyrocketed by nearly $50 million. According to Howard County officials, building the “extended north tunnel” is now expected to cost $130 million, compared to the $82 million price tag that was initially announced along with the project in 2019. County Executive Calvin Ball (D) put much of the blame on inflation. “While we understood the sizable investment required when we began this project in 2019, we could not foresee the present inflationary pressures,” Ball said. According to Ball, construction and building costs in Maryland over the past year have increased by nearly 15% and more than 21%, respectively.