The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District recently awarded construction on a 28-month contract to make improvements to the northern portion of Murphy Canal on the west bank of Jefferson Parish.
The project, which is part of the Southeast Louisiana Urban Flood Damage Reduction Project (SELA), will reduce the risk of damages from a 10-year rainfall event. A 10-year event is basically a rain storm that has a 10% annual probability of occurrence and equates to approximately 9 inches of rain over a 24-hour period for our area.
The $22.4 million contract calls for Conquistador-Dorado JV to widen and improve approximately 12,300 linear feet of the existing Murphy and Gardere canals. The project area runs along the existing canal and begins just north of Lapalco Blvd, and ends just south of the entrance to Boomtown Casino, along the east side of Peters Rd. A notice to proceed is expected to be issued by mid-October and construction will be completed in the beginning of 2015.
The Corps continues to work closely with its partners at the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority and Jefferson Parish on the SELA program. To date, the majority of the work to improve major drainage canals and pump stations on the west bank of Jefferson Parish is complete. A total of 53 contracts have been awarded in Jefferson Parish to date, with work completed on 45 of those projects. All scheduled SELA work in Jefferson Parish should be finished in 2017.
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Press Release, September 28, 2012