NEW ORLEANS – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awarded a $904,675 contract today, reaching yet another pivotal milestone in reducing risk for residences and businesses in St. Bernard Parish. The Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) contract was awarded to Odebrecht-Baker, A Joint Venture, for preconstruction services on the Chalmette Loop from Verret to Caernarvon.
Preconstruction services will run concurrent to the design effort, allowing for valuable collaboration between the design team and Odebrecht-Baker, A Joint Venture. When complete, this project would reduce impacts from a storm surge event that has a one percent chance of occurring in any given year.
The ECI contract includes two subsequent options which, when awarded, would account for the majority of the estimated $278 million in construction costs. Those options include constructing 8.5 miles of new floodwall to an elevation between 27 and, in some places, 32 feet that would tie in to the Highway 46 and Bayou Road Floodgate on the west and Verret to Caernarvon structures on the east. Additionally, new fronting protection would be constructed to elevation 32 feet at St. Mary’s Pump Station.
“We are committed to providing the 100-year level of risk reduction for the greater New Orleans area in 2011,” said Col. Robert Sinkler, Commander of the Hurricane Protection Office. “This is the last ECI contract for levees and floodwalls and we are very excited about using this innovative contracting method to achieve our goal.”
Release no. 09-043