BATON ROUGE - The City-Parish says it recently heard back from FEMA regarding a Hazard Mitigation Grant that would pay for improvements to Dawson Creek.

The $4.5 million grant would go toward swapping out culverts under Broussard Street and Hundred Oaks Avenue for bridges and improve the concrete-lined section where Dawson Creek drains. There's also a plan to include the clearing, snagging, and widening of the waterway from Hundred Oaks Avenue to S. Acadian Thruway.

City-Parish Transportation & Drainage Director Fred Raiford has told 2 On Your Side in the past that there's no money to make improvements to Dawson Creek. Well, money has become available. The City-Parish says the Office of Community Development has agreed to put up the local match of 25 percent.

"It can help facilitate not just the Garden District but some of the areas on the east side of Acadian that drain through there," said Raiford. "It will help some of the drainage for a lot of the areas."

Right now, Raiford says the culverts under Hundred Oaks Avenue and Broussard Street act as a restriction.

"I've also asked them to look at addressing it all the way to S. Acadian because, in my opinion, we have some problems there with channel improvements," said Raiford.

Phase one of the project has been approved. Raiford says the plans will be ready in about a year and will be submitted to FEMA for final approval. The City-Parish says the improvements could start in the next two years.

In August, funding was found to upgrade 66 miles of waterways in East Baton Rouge Parish to reduce flooding for residents and businesses. That work is scheduled to begin in February or March 2020.