Two West Bank & Vicinity 100-year Levee Construction Contracts Awarded

Published Sept. 29, 2009

NEW ORLEANS – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District awarded two contracts in September for approximately $16 million to enlarge 6 miles of levee along the Harvey Canal to Westwego levee alignment on the west bank of New Orleans. These contracts will raise the levee reach to the 100-year elevation required to reduce risk for residences and businesses from a storm surge that has a 1 percent chance of occurring each year.

“Several contracts, including these two levee enlargement contracts were awarded in September,” said Julie Vignes, Senior Project Manager. “Residents will begin to see a lot of construction activities as we continue to strengthen the West Bank and Vicinity portion of the Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System.”

One contract was awarded to Clark Construction of St. Martinville, LA, a small business, for $4.9 million to raise the levee stretching from the Highway 45 crossing north towards Westwego to an elevation of 10.5 feet.

Another contract was awarded to Creek Services, LLC of Harvey, LA, a local small business, for $11 million to raise another reach of this levee to an elevation of 10.5 feet.

These projects will provide further risk reduction for the areas of Westwego, Harvey, and Marrero from storm surges entering Lake Salvador and the greater Barataria Basin. Construction of both levee enlargements should begin in October 2009 and be completed by June 2010.

The Corps is sharing responsibilities with its non-federal partners, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-West, and the West Jefferson Levee District.


Release no. 09-042