Louisiana Governor, John Bel Edwards, participated last week in the signing ceremony of a project partnering agreement (PPA) with the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA), USACE and the Pontchartrain Levee District (PLD) for the West Shore Lake Pontchartrain project.
The event at the PLD, 2069 Railroad Avenue, Lutcher, Louisiana, were hosted by PLD President Ricky Bosco and PLD Executive Director Monica Gorman.
“The Coastal Master Plan called for this large-scale hurricane protection project, and now that we have the funding we’re wasting no time in moving it forward. We have 60,000 people who will benefit by having their homes, families, jobs and communities better protected from the increasing threat of tropical storm surge, ” said Governor Edwards.
Federal funds in the amount of $760 million are allocated to this project through the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, which was signed into law Feb. 9, 2018.
“Fifty years from now, with the implementation of this project, expected annual damages can be expected to be reduced by $865 million, ” said CPRA Board Chair Chip Kline . “This represents enormous savings for area residents and the state.”
Once completed, these levees and wetlands will reduce the risk of damages from tropical storm surge in the river parish region and protect communities around Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurepas.
Located in the Pontchartrain basin and currently in the engineering and design phase, this project will construct 18.5 miles of earthen levees and floodwalls including one mile of T-wall in St. Charles and St. John the Baptist Parishes.