Bayou Chene to reopen

Tuesday was the anticipated day for reopening Bayou Chene to marine traffic, even if the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had not completed paperwork to issue a final go-ahead.

Following the removal of a temporary sunken barge complex that was credited with saving Morgan City and western Terrebonne Parish from extensive flood damage in May and June, members of the St. Mary Parish Levee District met Monday to lay out a plan for return of to normal operations.

“Basically, the parish is doing the removal of sheet pile,” U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spokeswoman Rachel Rodi said. “They [are working on] the timeline for reopening to navigation.”

As for permitting, Rodi said once the levee district has completed a plan it will be sent to the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources and then will be reviewed by the corps. “Thirty to 90 days is typical to get a permit,” she said.

“It may be a day or two more [before Tuesday’s projected opening] because of the sheet piling [that is being removed],” state Rep. Sam Jones (D-Franklin) said. “The barge has actually been out for a week, but it is just the last bit of sheet piling and the protections that’s left.”

Jones said that a normal protocol is to have the full project to be taken out, but the corps has worked open ended with St. Mary Parish and officials there are now asking to leave some of the wings up so they will not have to replace them if needed at a later date or until we can get a permanent structure built.

“We feel like, ‘why waste the money,'” Jones said. “We still can open up 420 feet of width. [Bayou Chene] is authorized for traffic at 400 feet. So we’ll be 20 feet to the good.”

As of press time, St. Mary Parish Levee District President Bill Hadalgo had not returned telephone calls to specify details on the reopening of Bayou Chene.

Sheet piling is being removed from Bayou Chene in St. Mary Parish to allow the safe passage of marine traffic. COURTESY PHOTO