NEW ORLEANS –The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District, recently awarded a contract to strengthen and raise the Illinois Central Railroad floodwall/gate to the 100-year level of risk reduction. Once complete, the project will reduce risk for St. Charles Parish east bank residents from a storm surge event that has a one percent chance of occurring each year.
“The Corps currently has 12 Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System contracts under construction on the east bank of St. Charles Parish,” said Jeannine Amos, project manager. “The Illinois Central Railroad contract is the final contract award on the east bank of the parish and brings the total construction contracts award amount to over $100 million.”
The Corps is committed to completing the risk reduction projects before our June 2011 deadline.
Garner Services, LLC of New Orleans, a service disabled veteran owned small business was awarded the $4.2 million contract to raise the existing floodwall and floodgate at the Illinois Central Railroad gate to +15.5 ft.
Construction of this project will be phased and include a hurricane rated Temporary Flood Protection system around the existing walls. Once temporary measures are in place the existing walls will be demolished and the new floodwall will be constructed along the same alignment as the original floodwall. Additional piles will be driven for support of the newly constructed 450 ft. of T-walls.
The existing gate is being retrofitted to raise it to a new height of +15.5 ft. The Illinois Central Railroad is part of the Metro New Orleans evacuation plan. The floodgate is being equipped with a mechanized closure capable of shutting the gate in winds up to 70 MPH, which will allow it to remain open longer as a storm approaches.
The Corps is sharing project responsibilities with its non-federal partner, Office of Coastal Protection and Restoration in coordination through Pontchartrain Levee District. The project is scheduled for completion in spring 2011.
Release no. 10-063