Work will soon begin on the West Shore Lake Pontchartrain flood damage risk reduction project.
The Army Corps of Engineers will extend Lake Pontchartrain's levee system past Jefferson Parish, to reduce the risk of flooding in St. Charles, St. John the Baptist, and St. James parishes.
"Levee, T-walls, and pumps that will provide hurricane risk reduction to the 60,000 or so residents that live in the three-parish area," explained Bren Haase, executive director of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority.
The project is the result of several studies done after Hurricane Isaac in 2012 inundated areas around LaPlace, including I-10.
"It was underwater for several days and that hindered rescue and recovery missions following Hurricane Isaac," said Haase.
It also raised the question of what would have happened if another, larger storm threated the New Orleans area and I-10 wasn't available as an evacuation route.
"I-10 runs through this corridor which is a major hurricane evacuation route, and extremely important in terms of evacuating the greater New Orleans area," said Haase.
Haase also said the project, scheduled to be complete in 2024, should mean a reduction in flood insurance rates for some residents.
