Posted on September 12, 2022
The Memphis District awarded a contract to perform dike construction and maintenance at Donaldson Point, near New Madrid, Missouri (River Mile 903), Aug. 24, 2022.
The Corps is partnering with Commercial Towing Interests, represented by the Lower Mississippi River Committee (LOMRC), to execute this $11,809,760 funded project.
According to Project Manager Zach Cook, “This work is needed in this reach of the river due to continued navigation concerns raised by towboat pilots during recent low water years. This area has also required repetitive dredging over the past few years as well.”
The funds provided for the work are a combination of Disaster Relief Supplemental Act of 2022 (DRSAA) and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) money allocated by Congress earlier this year.
Contractor, Luhr Bros., Inc. from Columbia, Illinois, will perform the construction work, which will consist of, “Placing approximately 316,000 tons of Graded Stone A (5,000 pound maximum stone size) to restore and raise four existing stone dikes and construct environmental notches in all four dikes for habitat diversity in the secondary side channel along the right descending bank,” Cook said. “This dike project will work in conjunction with dike work completed earlier this spring at Below Island 9, Tennessee, to improve the channel crossing and low water navigation conditions in this reach of the Mississippi River.”
The Memphis District is responsible for maintaining a safe and dependable navigation channel for 355 miles of the Mississippi River from Cairo, Illinois (River Mile 954) to the mouth of the White River near Rosedale, Mississippi (River Mile 599).
“This is accomplished through the construction of revetments, dikes, construction dredging, and other structures,” Cook said. “In wide reaches of the river, dikes are used to contract the channel width to produce a more efficient channel for navigation and reduce the need for repetitive dredging. Finally, work of this nature helps ensure the flood-carrying capacity of the river.”
The project has a projected start date of December 2022 with an anticipated completion date of February 2023.
Congratulations to all members of the Project Delivery Team for meeting this significant project milestone! The district looks forward to celebrating the completion of this project along with the many benefits resulting thereafter!
