NEW ORLEANS – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Team New Orleans achieved another major Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System milestone today for the east bank of Jefferson and St. Charles parishes. The area between the Bonnet Carré Spillway and the 17th Street Canal can now defend against a storm surge event that has a one percent chance of occurring in any given year, or a 100-year storm surge event.
“With completion of the interim measures at the Elmwood Pump Station and placement of the last T-wall monolith at the Cross Bayou Pump Station we now have features in place to defend against the 100-yr storm surge on the east bank of both Jefferson and St. Charles parishes,” said Brett Herr, Branch Chief in the Protection Restoration Office. “This represents a major milestone as we begin the 2011 hurricane season.”
Work on the east bank of St. Charles Parish consisted of 13 contracts, including the enlargement of nine miles of levees, constructing new concrete floodwalls, building a railroad gate and replacing four drainage structures. All structural features in the area were built to an elevation of at least 15.5-feet above sea level. The total construction cost for projects on the east bank of St. Charles Parish is approximately $100 million.
Work on the east bank of Jefferson Parish consists of 16 contracts, including the enlargement of 10 miles of levees, building two new vehicular floodgates, constructing over three miles of new T-wall, new fronting protection for the four lakefront pump stations, and foreshore protection along Lake Pontchartrain. The total estimated construction cost for the east bank of Jefferson Parish is $500 million.
The 100-year level risk reduction features in Jefferson and St. Charles parishes are able to defend against a storm surge event for the 2011 hurricane season; however, construction on the West Return Floodwall, Fronting Protection and Causeway will continue into 2012. Efforts to get grass fully established on the new levees will also continue.
Safety is the Corps’ number one priority. As construction of the Greater New Orleans Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System continues, residents and commuters are reminded 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. 11-053