Erewash MP Liz Blackman will officially launch the beginning of Nottingham's £51 million Left Bank Flood Risk Alleviation Scheme later this week.
Ms Blackman will cut the first piece of turf on June 12th, before work starts on the new defences.
According to the Environment Agency, the scheme will extend for 27 km along the banks of the River Trent and provide protection for around 16,000 properties.
Area flood and coastal risk manager Innes Thomson said it is one of the most complex schemes of its kind in the UK.
"We are indebted to the forward thinking of the local authorities, without whose help and support this scheme could not have been built," she added.
The first phase of the project will focus on the area between Sawley and the River Erewash.
Meanwhile, a three-month consultation is currently underway on how best to manage the flood risk on the River Tame in Witton and Perry Barr.