NEW ORLEANS – In addition to implementing a historic flood fight, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Team New Orleans, is continuing to deliver its mission of providing the greater New Orleans area with a hurricane system that defends against a storm surge event that has a one percent chance of occurring in any given year, or a 100-year storm surge event. The Corps and its construction contractors reached this project milestone at two St. Bernard project locations late last week.
The Bayou Dupre sector gate (LPV 144) in St. Bernard Parish is now able to defend against a one percent storm surge event. Valued at $36.37 million, each sector gate leaf at Bayou Dupre is 43.5 feet high and weighs 176 tons.
The Caernarvon Canal sector gate, floodwall and Highway 39 and railroad gates (LPV 149) also reached the pivotal milestone. Valued at $46.44 million each sector gate leaf at the Caernarvon Canal is 36 feet high and weighs 95 tons.
The only contract still necessary to achieve 100-year level risk reduction in the entire St. Bernard Parish sub-basin is the Verret to Caernarvon floodwall. That project is on schedule to reach the milestone by June 1, 2011. In total, residents in St. Bernard Parish benefit from the $1.5 billion Chalmette Loop levee system which includes 23 miles of floodwalls and two gated structures between the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal Surge Barrier at Bayou Bienvenue and the Mississippi River Levees.
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.
High resolution images of projects described above are available upon request.
Release no. 11-060