Reporter Sean Muserallo provides a first-hand update on work in Battery Park on the WWBT-12 website:

It’s been more than a year since Battery Park flooded, leaving homes under water and many people looking for another place to live. But after months of work, the city says it’s ahead of schedule, and things are looking up for the Richmond community.

The area still turns into a fishbowl anytime there’s a good rain in Battery Park, but the city has been working on a permanent solution. On Tuesday, Mayor Doug Wilder and reporters got a look at what that solution will be.

We were taken 80 feet below the surface, where the new sewer line is being built. This hole in the wall is actually a long tunnel that makes up the new line. It will be lined with piping to eventually carry tons of household waste and rainwater out of North Richmond.

Back on the ground, the mayor got a firsthand look at what causes the flooding in Battery Park. A giant sinkhole marks where the earth caved in and collapsed onto the original sewer line.

It blocks the original sewer line during rainstorms. It’s also the site of an old city landfill that contains biohazardous waste.

The city convinced federal officials to build around this site to protect residents from future health risks.

After the tour ended, the mayor said he was pleased with what he saw.

“This is a win-win,” he said. “This is not a patchwork situation. There is a permanent solution associated with these improvements.”

Wilder says North Richmond residents stand to gain better sanitary service from the city, as well as better flood protection. The new sewer line is built to prevent what we saw during Tropical Storm Ernesto.

City officials say Battery Park will be free and clear of water and debris, which they hope improves the quality of life for those residents who’ve lived through what they hope is the worst.