The Memphis District held a groundbreaking ceremony in Caruthersville, Missouri, April 3, 2022, to celebrate a federally funded project to replace the Caruthersville Mississippi River floodwall.
The new floodwall will enhance the safety of more than 135,000 residents, $6.28 billion of property, and $7.5 billion of agriculture.
This project will replace approximately 3,000 linear feet of floodwall. The gravity wall sections will be replaced with inverted T-Wall sections and the floodwall will also be raised one foot in height. In addition, the close structure at Carleton Avenue will be permanently closed and an over-levee access ramp will be constructed to replace the closure structure.
Approximately $1.5 million of utility relocations were required to provide the construction contractor a workable construction site.
The St. Francis Levee District of Missouri and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have worked diligently to overcome numerous design challenges, such as: minimizing impacts to a pedestrian walkway that is an extremely important economic resource to the City of Caruthersville; determining the best temporary flood protection during construction; minimizing impacts to existing seepage features in the general vicinity of the floodwall; incorporating resiliency features for future flood events; and phasing of construction to minimize impacts to adjacent stakeholders.
The estimated contract award in April 2022 for this project is $20-25 million dollars. Construction is estimated to start in summer 2022, with completion in winter 2024.
Many thanks to those in attendance, including Missouri Rep. Jason Smith (8th District), Caruthersville Mayor Sue Grantham, Maj. Gen. Diana M. Holland (President, Mississippi River Commission and Commander, Mississippi Valley Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers), St. Francis Levee District of Missouri Vice President Mike S. Bernard, and members of both the Mississippi River Commission and St. Francis Levee District of Missouri.
Finally, many thanks and a huge congratulations to those responsible for making this project a reality.