Lockport levee upgrades to begin

Construction should soon begin on an earthen levee to bridge an existing gap in flood protection in Lockport.

The North Lafourche Conservation, Levee and Drainage District awarded a construction contract for the long-anticipated project, often referred to as the Allied Shipyard Levee.

“This part of our district is vulnerable to high water events and we are very pleased to be able to move forward on a more permanent solution that will reduce the flooding risks for citizens in that area,” said Dwayne Bourgeois, the district’s executive director, in a printed statement.

Sealevel Construction, based in Thibodaux, submitted the $426,610 winning bid. The engineering firm J. Wayne Plaisance had estimated the cost at $451,000 and recommended the levee district approve the bid.

The project aims to extend an existing levee though Allied Shipyard and to its entrance, where it would tie in with the existing system. Floodgates can be utilized during cases of high water, and they allow the shipyard to work without interruption until such an instance, according to a press release.

Once complete, residents adjacent to the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway on the west bank of Bayou Lafourche would see enhanced protection.

In anticipation of previous storms, the levee district installed HESCO bags in the gap to lessen the vulnerability.