The coming of the railroads, the heyday of the 19th century iron industry and the devastating damage Hurricane Agnes caused in June 1972 mark Marietta Borough's history.

Determined not to let storm history repeat itself, the state is proposing to build a protective levee along the town's Susquehanna River shoreline.

An update on the levee plan was presented to borough officials and the public Oct. 9 by Andy Reed, a senior civil engineer with the state Department of Environmental Protection.

Marietta's levee, Reed said in an interview Monday, would consist of a 700-foot-long concrete box culvert and trash rack on Evans Run from Market Street downstream to the railroad embankment, as well as laying down about 10,500 feet of impervious liner — the kind used in landfills — on the part of the railroad embankment that faces the Susquehanna River.

A nine-inch layer of rock would be placed on the liner, he said, followed by a three-foot-high vinyl wall at the crest of the railroad embankment. The wall would be constructed, Reed said, "like the corrugations in a cardboard box."

A downstream tie-off levee made of compacted earth also would be constructed around the east side of the Marietta/East Donegal Township Sewer Authority's wastewater treatment plant.

An upstream tie-off levee would be constructed near the fence line of the Armstrong World Industries building and provide flood protection to Jagtrux Inc. in East Donegal Township as well as to the western end of Marietta.

Reed said engineers considered but eliminated the idea of running dozens of drain pipes through the embankment to allow storm water to drain from Front Street into the river.

"We'll combine storm water system pipes from up and down Front Street into a handful of central locations. Then, we'll have large 48- to 60-inch pipes running from those locations through the embankment," Reed said. "So, rather than have 34 smaller pipes running through, we'll now have just nine or 10."

Under the new plan, Reed said, the pipes also will be equipped with flat and sluice gates to keep water from the Susquehanna River from backing up through the drainage system and flooding the town.

Reed said, engineers are working on finishing the levee drawings by February. Then, he said, the borough and state will begin working on land acquisition and obtaining easements. Simultaneously, DEP will begin developing final design drawings and writing specifications, as well as obtaining permits.

"There are so many variables and attorneys involved that ... this is a process that will take a long time," he said. "If I had to estimate, I could say that this process could go on for at least five years before this project goes out to bid."

Once the project goes to bid, Reed estimated the actual construction would take three years. "And in the end, Marietta will see less flooding, and the hope is that folks should see their flood insurance rates go down dramatically," he said.