NEW ORLEANS – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District, and its contractor will temporarily close Lakeshore Drive to accommodate preparation for and construction of the new PCCP at the London Avenue outfall canal. Throughout construction, public safety is the Corps’ number one priority.
- On Monday, July 22, Lakeshore Drive will be closed between Pratt Drive and the entrance to the University of New Orleans so that the contractor can remove a barge from the canal;
- From Tuesday, July 23 through Friday, July 26, one east bound travel lane of Lakeshore Drive will be closed between Pratt Drive and the entrance to the University of New Orleans to allow the contractor to access the construction site.
Weather permitting, the temporary closures will begin each day at 7:00 a.m. and be reopened to traffic at 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 there are questions about construction of the system, call the Corps’ toll free Construction Hotline at 877-427-0345 or “like” us on Facebook www.facebook.com/permpumps to get regular updates.
Lakeshore Drive (red indicates the points of closures)
Release no. 13-046