$122 million in repairs to Grand Isle will begin in August.
According to the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers will start work to address Hurricane Ida-related damage to Grand Isle.
“Congress has made a significant commitment to address the damages experienced from back-to-back record hurricane seasons,” said Col. Stephen Murphy, commander of the USACE New Orleans District. “We are eager to work in partnership with CPRA to deliver this commitment to the people that live and work on Grand Isle.”
The repairs will begin in August 2022 with a $5 million effort to install interim risk reduction measures by placing supersack sandbags at 12 locations along the dune.
CPRA says this work will be followed by a $22 million contract to install a 2,200-foot stone dune core on the western end of the project, repair damages to the existing breakwaters, and repair the western jetty. This contract is scheduled to be executed in early 2023.
Additionally, a $95 million effort will install 21,000 feet of clay-filled geotextile tube along the western portion of the project, address damages to the eastern sand-filled geotube, and undertake overall restoration of the 7-mile dune and beach, they say.
"The Grand Isle project not only includes repairs to the burrito levee, but the addition of over 2,000 feet of stone core dune on the island's western end and the installation of a clay core for 4 miles of the dune," said CPRA Executive Director Bren Haase. "These elements will work together to provide integrated protection, and we're grateful for the collaboration that made this progress possible."
The repairs will be in addition to work currently underway. Congress included $15 million in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 to construct risk reduction features on the barrier island. These funds were used to construct five breakwaters and undertake beach nourishment. Upon completion, the remaining funds are now being used to construct an adjacent sixth breakwater.
CPRA says that Congress and the Administration also included appropriations in the post-Ida Disaster Relief Supplement Appropriation Act of 2022 to investigate sustainable and more resilient approaches to reducing risk for Grand Isle. Completion of a general reevaluation report will take approximately three years and cost $3 million.
Upon finalization of the feasibility cost-share agreement between USACE and CPRA, the study will open with scoping meetings to gather feedback from residents and stakeholders.
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