Corps announces new south bound Causeway lane opening

Published Nov. 8, 2012

NEW ORLEANS –The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District, opens the newly completed southbound bridge at the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway on Friday, November 9th.

 

The opening of all four southbound lanes comes about a month ahead of schedule. The Causeway project is part of the $14.6 billion Greater New Orleans Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System.

 

For the past two years, northbound and southbound travel lanes of Causeway Blvd. have been closed and detoured when necessary to accommodate ongoing construction,” said Justin Smith, project manager. Opening the new bridge restores should significantly improve the flow of traffic exiting the Causeway.”

 

The northbound lanes are expected to fully open the end of November or early December.

 

Boh Bros. Construction Co. began work in 2012 on the $43-million risk reduction project which involved elevating the highly trafficked Causeway lanes over a newly constructed floodwall built to an elevation of +15 feet. The new bridge stretches from the Causeway peninsula over the new floodwall to just north of 6th St. Tie-ins link the new floodwall feature with the existing Jefferson Parish lakefront levees.

 

The floodwall defends against a storm surge event that has a one percent chance of occurring in any given year, or a 100-year storm surge event.

 

All construction on the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway is scheduled to be completed in early 2013 with the installation of a new canopy over the northbound Causeway entrance.

 

As construction of the Greater New Orleans Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System continues, residents and commuters are urged to use caution near active construction sites. If at any time there are questions about construction of the system, call the Corps’ toll free Construction Hotline at 877-427-0345. For more information on the HSDRRS is available at: www.mvn.usace.army.mil.


Contact
Rene Poche
504-862-1767
rene.g.poche@usace.army.mil
or
After Hours:
504-756-2811

Release no. 12-065