Posted on March 20, 2023
New Orleans – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District, recently awarded a contract for constructing the second levee reach on the West Shore Lake Pontchartrain (WSLP) Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction project. This contract will construct approximately 1.7 miles 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 contract was awarded on March 15, 2022, to B&K Construction of Mandeville, Louisiana for the construction of levee reach 107, which is approximately 1.7 miles long. The contract at award is $25,467,475.00. Work will be performed in St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana. The levee elevation will be 9.6 feet.
“Delivering the West Shore Lake Pontchartrain Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction project is a top priority for the Corps of Engineers and its partners the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority and Pontchartrain Levee District,” said USACE Senior Project Manager Bradley Drouant. “This contract for construction of the system’s second large-scale levee reach is another important step towards achieving the federal, state and local commitment to residents of St. Charles, St. John and St. James Parishes.”
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. The project design team continues to work with the Non-Federal sponsor to acquire Rights of Entry (ROE) and coordinate with utilities and pipelines within the project footprint. Contracts completed include test sections, clay stockpiles, sand stockpiles, sand placement, and access road construction.
