NEW ORLEANS – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awarded a $25.6 million contract to prepare the 6.4-mile reach of levee between South Point and CSX Railroad for final construction. The contract was awarded to BIS Services, L.L.C., a Louisiana-based small business, on Oct. 23.
The eight-month contract calls for placing a fabric and sand layer, called a drainage blanket, on the protected side of the levee. The final phase will consist of raising the levee to meet the 100-year level of risk reduction requirements. When construction is complete, the project will reduce the impacts from a storm surge event that has a one percent chance of occurring in any given year.
“We are committed to providing opportunities for local businesses and excited to award this contract to BIS Services,” said Col. Robert Sinkler, commander of the Hurricane Protection Office. “About 30 percent of our risk reduction contracts have already been awarded to small businesses.”
Release no. 09-033