NEW ORLEANS – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New Orleans District Commander, Col. Edward Fleming, recently signed the Decision Record allowing the Corps to temporarily use 14 empty lots on Warrington Drive and Pratt Drive for construction access or staging areas in association with the remediation work at the London Avenue Canal floodwalls.
“The additional access and staging areas allow the construction contractor to minimize the distance required to deliver concrete to the jobsite and reduces traffic impacts to Gentilly residents,” said Daniel Bradley, branch chief for the Permanent Canal Closures and Pumps project. “Use of these lots prevents the temporary closures of the Leon C. Simon Drive and Robert E. Lee Boulevard bridges for delivery of construction materials.”
Additional access to the project site minimizes traffic impacts on the Filmore Avenue, Mirabeau Avenue, Leon C. Simon Drive and Robert E. Lee Boulevard bridges.
Remediation construction at the 17th Street, Orleans Avenue and London Avenue outfall canals is scheduled for completion in June 2011. The outfall canal walls are being remediated so that they meet the necessary factors of safety for stability and seepage, as dictated by current Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System design guidelines. By June 1, 2011, the hurricane system will be able to defend against a storm surge event that has a one percent chance of occurring in any given year.
This approved plan was fully described in “Draft Individual Environmental Report Supplemental (IERS) 27.a,” which was available for public review in March and April 2011. The signed Decision Record and final report is available for review and can be downloaded at www.nolaenvironmental.gov.
Questions about construction of the hurricane system may be directed to the Corps’ Construction Hotline at 877-427-0345.