NEW ORLEANS -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District, released the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal Lock Replacement Supplemental Draft General Reevaluation Report and integrated Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement today for a 45-day public review period ending on July 17, 2025.
The draft report recommends construction of a shallow draft lock, 900 feet long by 110 feet wide and 22 feet deep. The recommendation includes a concrete lock with associated support structures and facilities, and a new drawbridge to replace the existing St. Claude Avenue Bridge. The recommended replacement bridge will be constructed immediately north of the existing bridge with construction scheduled late in the project timeline. The recommended plan does not require expansion of the canal.
A public meeting is scheduled for:
Saturday, June 28 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Andrew P. Sanchez & Copelin-Byrd Multi-Service Center
1616 Fats Domino Ave
New Orleans, LA 70117
The public meeting will include an open house with USACE personnel to discuss the draft report, a forum to accept public comments, and additional methods to provide feedback to the Corps of Engineers.
The draft report and supporting information, including the Community Impact Mitigation Plan and Transportation Mitigation Program, are available online at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District website: https://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/About/Projects/IHNC-Lock-Replacement/
The general public, interested parties, and stakeholders are invited to comment on the release of the draft report. The draft report contains a description of the project, an evaluation of the alternatives under consideration, and an analysis of potential environmental impacts. All public comments received will be considered as part of the continued development of the final report, which is scheduled for completion later this year.
Written comments may be directed to:
District Engineer at U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District
7400 Leake Avenue
New Orleans, Louisiana 70118
Comments can also be submitted electronically to the following:
ihnclockreplacement@usace.army.mil
About the IHNC Lock: The IHNC Lock is located in the Industrial Canal, which runs through a highly urbanized area within the New Orleans city limits. It joins Lake Pontchartrain to the north with the Mississippi River to the south. The canal also connects the eastern segment of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW) with the Mississippi River. The lock, built in 1923, is not efficient. The Army Corps was authorized to replace the lock in 1956 to improve efficiency and reliable passage of waterborne traffic locking through the IHNC.
The Community Impact Mitigation Plan was authorized in the Water Resources Development Act of 1996, which instructs the Corps of Engineers to provide for mitigation or compensation, or both, for the direct and indirect social and cultural impacts that the lock replacement project will have on affected areas. The Transportation Mitigation Program was authorized in the Water Resources Development Act of 2007.
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