The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) New Orleans District, recently awarded a contract for constructing the first levee reach on the West Shore Lake Pontchartrain (WSLP) Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction project.
The contract will construct approximately one mile of the 17.5-mile-long levee system that will provide 100-year level risk reduction to the area extending from the Bonnet Carre’ spillway to Garyville.
The West Shore Lake Pontchartrain project will achieve 100-year storm surge risk reduction by a variety of structural and non-structural features to include: levees, floodwalls, and pumps. While these features will reduce risk from storm surge associated with tropical events, they do not specifically reduce risk of flooding from significant rainfall.
USACE awarded the contract on Dec. 21, 2022 to Lemoine-Frazier LLC of Lafayette, La. for the construction of levee reach 110, which is approximately one mile long. At the time of the award, the contract amounts to $9,351,590.
The contract will require approximately 87,000 cubic yards of commercial borrow material. USACE estimated the contract work to be completed in 2024.
“Award of the first levee construction contract is the culmination of years preparatory work by our team including CPRA, Pontchartrain Levee District, and USACE,” says Bradley Drouant, USACE senior project manager. “It’s an exciting time for WSLP as we gain momentum with the next contract being advertised before the end of the year and several more early in 2023. The work visible just west of the Bonnet Carrė spillway is just the first hint of what’s to come.”
