8 FEBRUARY 2022 WorldWide Drilling Resource® Pontchartrain Levee Project 50 Years in the Making Compiled by Amy White, Associate Editor, WorldWide Drilling Resource® The West Shore Lake Pontchartrain Hurricane Protection levee project is officially underway following a groundbreaking ceremony. The project’s history dates back to Hurricane Betsy in 1965. After major flooding occurred as a result of the hurricane, Congress authorized levee construction in 1971; but lack of funding kept the project from getting started for decades. The project was not revisited until many years later in 2012, when Hurricane Isaac devastated communities that had never flooded before along the proposed project’s corridor. Along with approximately 7000 homes, Interstate 10 was flooded, which delayed emergency response efforts for days. These unprecedented events led to state and local leaders increasing pressure on Congress for action. In 2016, Congress approved the levee project and provided funding in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018. With new federal funding, the overdue project is finally coming to fruition bringing much-needed flood and hurricane protection to 60,000 residents in St. Charles, St. James, and St. John the Baptist parishes. Estimated to cost $760 million, the levee and related components will cover 18.5 miles providing 100-year hurricane and storm surge protection. Construction will be coordinated with several utility and pipeline companies to ensure safe crossings. Directional drilling is highly likely to be included in the scope of work as many interstate and highway crossings will be necessary as well. Initial land clearing and collection of data is now complete for the project to move ahead. Contractors are excavating and stockpiling material for levee construction with an anticipated completion date in 2024. Once complete, the new levee system could potentially protect as many as 120,000 people and over 7000 structures. It is being hailed as a proactive approach to hurricane mitigation as opposed to spending billions in recovery in the wake of a disaster. U.S Representative Garret Graves of Louisiana pointed out the project has been in the works since before he was born. “We’re cutting through the bureaucracy and red tape, and the people in the River Parishes are finally going to get the flood protection they deserve,” said Graves. “Dirt is turning and we will be protecting our families, homes, businesses, and communities.” The project is a collaborative effort between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers constructing the levee system; the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority being a non-federal sponsor; and the Pontchartrain Levee District to oversee operations of the levee system following completion. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will provide complete funding for the project up front and allow the state 30 years to cover their 35% share. At the groundbreaking ceremony, Governor John Bel Edwards remarked, “The River Parishes represent some of the most vibrant and vital areas in the state. With the completion of the West Shore project, thousands of Louisianans . . . will receive a much-deserved increase in their level of hurricane protection.” Land clearing operations on the West Shore Lake Pontchartrain Hurricane Protection levee project. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. DIR Looking for deals? You’ll find them everyday in the back of this RESOURCE
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