The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District, recently awarded a 26-month construction contract to raise a portion of the Mississippi River Levee on the east bank of Jefferson Parish.
The project is part of the Mississippi River and Tributaries (MR&T) System designed to safely control and convey floodwaters and reduce the risk of overtopping which provides flood risk reduction to the residents and businesses of greater New Orleans.
The $10.5 million contract calls for Hernandez Consulting LLC, to improve the system by raising approximately 9 miles of Mississippi River Levees to the authorized design elevation on the east bank from the St. Charles Parish line to the Orleans Parish line. The existing all weather access road will be removed during construction but will be replaced as construction progresses. In addition, trees and vegetation growing within the levee section will be cleared.
In order to minimize impacts to residents, the majority of construction traffic will remain on the levee crown; however, the contractor will use an alternate haul route via Florida Street to Jefferson Highway and Powerline Drive. In addition, construction of the levee enlargement will occur in two segments.
One segment of construction will last approximately 13 months beginning at the Orleans and Jefferson Parish line and extend approximately 4.2 miles upstream to Crislaur Avenue. The other segment will last approximately 13 months and occur between Orchard Road and the Jefferson / St. Charles Parish line for approximately 4.6 miles.
There will only be one segment of construction underway at a time and construction will be limited to no more than 5,000 linear feet of levee embankment work at a time.
A notice to proceed is expected to be issued in October and construction is scheduled to be completed in December 2015.
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Press Release, October 4, 2013