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Construction Update
Construction work on the Annapolis City Dock Resiliency Project is officially underway, with heavy equipment making its way into and out of the job site on Dock Street between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. each weekday.
As with any construction project, the work, while temporary in nature, can be messy and disruptive. The project is progressing in order to advance flood mitigation efforts that will protect our historic downtown for the long-term.
Throughout the project lifespan, which was initiated in 2019 with the appointment of the City Dock Action Committee (CDAC), the City has worked on both short- and long-term solutions to downtown flooding from sunny day, storm-related, and stormwater events. From the onset, the City has also been committed to creating both new and replacement parking for downtown businesses and residents by building the Mills-Hillman Garage with 588 parking spaces in place prior to the actual construction of City Dock.
Downtown Flooding: Ongoing Mitigation
Over the past several decades, especially in the last ten years, tidal flooding in Annapolis has increased significantly in both frequency and severity (see chart below from the National Weather Service, 1900 to 2025).
In 2019, the City temporarily installed pumps and backflow preventers in the storm drains on Dock Street which have significantly reduced nuisance flooding for several years. These systems were designed as interim measures, and further expanding them would not provide a dependable long-term solution. For that reason, the City is focused on delivering the permanent flood protection infrastructure now under construction through the City Dock Resiliency Project.
In addition to flood mitigation efforts, the City must also comply with state environmental regulations designed to protect the Chesapeake Bay and surrounding waterways. Stormwater systems are subject to inspection, and during City Dock construction inlets must include filtration measures to prevent sediment and debris from entering the estuary. These requirements are important for environmental stewardship, but they also affect how quickly water moves through the drainage system during heavy rainfall and high tide events.
The City continues to inspect, maintain, and operate the existing pumping infrastructure. These systems were always intended as interim measures while a permanent flood protection solution was designed, approved, permitted, and (now) built.
Downtown Annapolis is the economic and historic heart of our City. Protecting the businesses, residents, and public spaces from increasingly frequent and severe tidal flooding has been, and continues to be, the reason for this infrastructure project, one of the largest infrastructure investments in the City’s history.
Prince George St.
New this week is the installation of construction fencing for the US Naval Academy’s perimeter wall construction project. While this is not actually part of the City’s project, it is being coordinated with the City Dock project. The Navy’s new project involves raising the exterior wall that surrounds the Academy campus for additional security.
Visit City Dock Businesses
We want to thank each of you for your patience as we move forward on a project that Annapolis has long deserved. We ask residents and visitors to continue patronizing the businesses on Dock Street during construction. They’re open and ready to serve you.
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