The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District, Inner Harbor Navigation Canal (IHNC) Lake Borgne Surge Barrier project was recognized last week by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) with the 2014 Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement (OCEA) award, the organization’s highest and most prestigious honor.
The IHNC Surge Barrier is part of the Greater New Orleans Hurricane & Storm Damage Risk Reduction System, which reduces the risk of flooding from a storm surge that has a one percent chance of occurring in any given year.
The 1.8-mile-long IHNC Surge Barrier is located at the confluence of the GIWW and the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO), about 12 miles east of downtown New Orleans.
The project reduces the risk for some of the areas hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina, including New Orleans East, metro New Orleans, Gentilly, the Ninth Ward and St. Bernard Parish. The total construction value for the IHNC-Lake Borgne Surge Barrier is an estimated $1.1 billion.
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Press Release, March 24, 2014