New Orleans -- Beginning Monday, July 13, 2020, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will intermittently close the Calcasieu Saltwater Barrier to navigation between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. to allow for continuing repairs of the structure’s gates and machinery.
During the repairs, efforts will be made to allow traffic when possible, though delays should be expected. The structure will pass traffic between 6 p.m. and 7 a.m. during normal operating hours. The intermittent closures of the structure are scheduled to last until July 27.
The Calcasieu River Saltwater Barrier (CRSWB) is located on a floodway by-pass channel that cuts off a meander channel of the Calcasieu River in Westlake, Louisiana, across the Calcasieu River from Lake Charles. This structure is designed to reduce saltwater intrusion that threatens sensitive wetlands and agricultural irrigation processes located upstream of the barrier. Constructed in 1968, the structure is operated year-round from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, with extended hours of 6 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday.
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Release no. 20-041