<\/p>\n
Homes in the Canyon Gate area of Cinco Ranch are surrounded by water from Barker Reservoir after flooding, Saturday, September 2, 2017, in Houston.<\/p>\n
Mark Mulligan\/Houston Chronicle<\/p>\n
The Harris County Flood Control District is asking Commissioners Court to send two employees to Tokyo to study the\u00a0Japanese capital\u2019s underground web of flood channels.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is funding a majority of the trip, which is expected to cost $20,710. The district would cover any additional costs, up to $2,710, said spokesperson Emily\u00a0Woodell. The intent is to study Tokyo\u2019s large-diameter tunnels, an approach that could be used\u00a0for stormwater diversion in Harris County, she\u00a0said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe Flood Control District has studied and advocated for large-diameter tunnels for years,\u201d Woodell said in a statement. \u201cWe continue to see them as a promising way to address flooding in Harris County.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n DUE DATES LOOM: Millions of dollars for Harris County flood projects are in jeopardy as Harvey deadline looms<\/a><\/p>\n Woodell did not say who flood control intended to send to Tokyo. If approved, the employees are expected to depart May 16 and return May 22, according to public agenda documents.\u00a0<\/p>\n The two flood control employees will accompany Corps of Engineers staff, who\u00a0invited flood control\u00a0on the trip, according to a March 25 letter addressed to flood control Executive Director Tina Petersen.<\/p>\n Tokyo\u2019s\u00a0$2 billion tunnel network was completed in 2006 after 13 years of construction, according to a March 2020 report published by the Kanto Regional Development Bureau<\/a>.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The system features 6.3 kilometers of\u00a0 tunnels that ferry overflow from surrounding waterways into the Edo River, which feeds into Tokyo Bay. The 2020 report estimated the project\u00a0had prevented nearly $1 billion in flood damage since its partial completion in 2002.\u00a0<\/p>\n Large-diameter tunnels aren\u2019t a new idea for Harris County. Officials have conducted multiple studies examining the feasibility of a countywide tunnel system, as well as a single tunnel beneath Buffalo Bayou, which would help relieve Addicks and Barker reservoirs.\u00a0<\/p>\n A 2020 Corps of Engineers\u00a0report indicated tunnels would be significantly less cost effective than improving the waterways feeding the two reservoirs, but Woodell said officials are still considering tunnels. The Corps\u00a0instead recommended making Buffalo Bayou wider and deeper, sparking backlash from conservationists and residents<\/a>.<\/p>\n Despite the Corps’ recommendation, billionaire Elon Musk in 2025 lobbied local officials to support a pitch from his tunneling company, The Boring Co., which he said could complete the project at a fraction of the price. Musk\u2019s proposal involved the construction of two 12-foot tunnels under Buffalo Bayou \u2014 less than half the capacity of the single 40-foot tunnel flood control studied.\u00a0<\/p>\n A Houston Chronicle investigation cast doubt on Musk\u2019s claims<\/a>, finding the cost difference between the two proposals was roughly proportional to the difference in capacity.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n READ MORE: A massive underground tunnel may be the way to alleviate Houston\u2019s flooding, Army Corps says<\/a><\/p>\n