NEW ORLEANS – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District, and its contractor will temporarily close Lakeshore Drive between Canal Boulevard and Marconi Drive on July 1 to accommodate preparation for and construction of the new PCCP at the Orleans Avenue outfall canal. Throughout construction, public safety is the Corps’ number one priority.
The temporarily closure will begin at 7:00 a.m. and allow workers to position cranes, barges and other equipment in the canal. Lakeshore Drive will be reopened to traffic at approximately 5:00 p.m.
The Permanent Canal Closures and Pumps at 17th Street, Orleans Avenue and London Avenue will provide a permanent and more sustainable measure for reducing the risk of a 100-year level storm surge entering the outfall canals. Preconstruction activities including surveying, soil sampling and test pile driving are or will be under way at all three canals in the next few weeks; major construction activities will begin in the fall.
The Interim Closure Structures (ICS) will continue to provide 100-year levels of storm surge risk reduction until the permanent pumps are constructed and operational. Since their construction in 2006, these temporary structures have performed as designed in five named tropical weather events, most recently during Hurricane Isaac.
As construction of the Permanent Canal Closures & Pumps 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.
Release no. 13-036