Official Newsletter from the Office of Congressman Garret Graves, LA-06
Greetings!

Thanks for signing up for our regular updates on the Comite Diversion Canal Project. The project is underway.

Construction is occurring all along the canal alignment at once -- and because it is made of several components, some parts progress faster than others.

Here's the latest:
The Dirt
The nitty-gritty of the Comite Diversion Canal
Black = Previous Report
Red = New Report
CORPS PROJECTS
32% of the work is done on this combined Corps project
US 61
All traffic diverted to bypass road.
All test shafts drilled completed. Testing is complete.
Length of piles determined; 6 have already been installed.
PREVIOUS REPORT

  • All vehicular bridge production shafts completed, installed
  • Channel excavation this week (1st week of April)
  • Excavation will occur east of the vehicular bypass road toward the Lilly Bayou Control structure
NEW REPORT

  • All drill shafts are installed for US 61 bridge northbound and southbound lanes
  • Canal excavation underway
  • Starting by bypass road (east of 61), moving west toward Mississippi River
  • Workers installing platforms to construct bridge decking
  • Casting bridge girders off site
  • 32 percent complete for this part of the project
KCS Railroad
Traffic diverted to shoo-fly. Test shaft drills done last week; at lab to determine length of piles.
PREVIOUS REPORT

  • Contractor will drive piles at grade for all US61/KCS bridges; Once drilled excavation will begin around the bridges.
  • Kansas City Railroad Bridge production shafts
  • 2 recently completed
  • 2 will be completed next week
NEW REPORT

  • All support shafts installed for KCS Bridge
McHugh Rd
PREVIOUS REPORT

  • 5 Feb – contract awarded
  • Construction begin next 4-6 weeks (mid-/end-April)
  • Process exactly like US 61: Drive piles at grade, then excavate 500’ each on east and west sides (1000’ total)
  • Contract negotiation with contractor recently approved
  • Contractor will mobilize to site next week
  • Construction trailers will arrive
  • Test shafts will be drilled
  • **McHugh Road will be closed next week **
NEW REPORT

  •  McHugh Bridge closed to traffic
  •  Contractor has mobilized to the site
  •  Excavation begins this week
  • Drilling shafts was supposed to be first work
  • Work is too close to powerlines that need to be moved; Unsafe
  • Contractor pivot now to remaining clear & grub and excavation
  • Will drill shafts as soon as utility poles moved
  • Complications with utility relocation threatened to delay project by one month+
  •  USACE + DOTD + DEMCO + Cong. Graves collaborated to resolve within 24 hours
  • Complications resolved; utility will relocate lines by end of May/first 2 weeks of June (on schedule)
Lilly Bayou Control Structure repair
PREVIOUS REPORT

  • LBCS has been idle for a decade
  • Addressing issues with the project to ensure structural integrity and performance
  • Inject grout; pressure washing; dewater the structure – inlet and the pool
  • 26 Feb was intended award date; one protest was registered
  • Contract was contested; impacted project schedule
  • Contract awarded 29 March
  • Will be finalized next week (4/19 week)
  • Crews/equipment will be mobilized
NEW REPORT

  • Contractor mobilizes to site by end of May
Channel Segment 4 – approximately between McHugh Rd. and LA 67
PREVIOUS REPORT

  • Contract came in higher that Corps budgeted
  • Negotiating 10 March with contractor
  • If all goes well, award at end of March
  • 15 April award
  •  Preconstruction mtg scheduled
  •  Estimate mobilization for construction mid-May 2021
NEW REPORT

  • Ch seg 4
  • 22 April award
  • Slight delay in award because there were questions on contractor details
  • Preconstruction meeting held last week (week of May 3)
  • Contact under review
  • Contractor mobilizing this week (week of May 10)
  • Contract value ~$45 mm range
  • Base contact is $26 mm with option is additional $15 mm (option is another extension; when relocations wrap up they will exercise the option)
  • Contract duration + option duration estimated to be approximately 360 days
White Bayou rock chute
PREVIOUS REPORT

  • DOTD is finalizing Authorization for Entry
  • Projecting an early-April contract award
  • Award on hold
  • Letter of No Objection required from Florida Gas
  • Expecting LONO this week
  • Once have it, move to contract award
NEW REPORT

  • Florida Gas utility on site; USACE needs permission from utility to proceed
  • LONO was attempted again – issue with Florida Gas – haven’t come to terms in timely manner
  • USACE adapting to circumstances; will access site from south via Channel Segment 4 (via Bayou Baton Rouge location)
  • Can have ingress and egress through this location
  • Authorization for Entry will be approved this week
  • USACE will develop new schedule based on adaptation
  • 25 May – anticipate awarding contract
Next contracts (pending authorization for entry)
  • July - Com 3 (Channel segment 1) – channel excavation approximately between Baton Rouge Bayou and US 61
  • July - Com 5 (Channel segment 2a) – channel excavation approximately between LA 19 and LA 964
  • USACE finalizing BCOES and design
  • “BCOES”: Corps checklist referring to biddability, constructability, operability, and environmental analysis
  • TBD – projected award date pending outstanding real estate acquisition. DOTD/USACE exercising alternative measures to acquire property.
  • July - Com 7/Com 15 (Channel segment 3) – channel excavation approximately between McHugh Rd. and LA 19
  • Lack of Florida Gas agreement threatens delay
  • No report additional report
  • July - Com 6 (Cypress Bayou Rock Chute)
  • Late June – award contract
  • This represents a 1 month lag due to BCOES issues
  • August – Com 20 (Channel segment 2b) – channel excavation approximately between LA 19 and LA 964
  • Encountering delays at this location
  • Assistance needed with utility relocations at this footprint
  • Need CRA agreements with utilizes
  • This will help us understand when contract can be awarded
  • Reach out to companies and get us an update
  • October – Com 19 (Diversion Structure) – construction of the diversion structure at Comite River.
  • Designs approximately 75-80 percent complete
  • Reconsidering design; issues with upload pressures; structure will be built on sand
  • USACE looking to reduce estimated cost
  • Slab is 12 feet thick at Lilly Bayou
  • Considering making diversion structure slab thinner (not thin; thinner)
  • Should have answer this week (week of May 10)
  • Contract award pending this decision
  • September – estimated award for construction
  • No additional right of way/real estate needed
  • October – Com 2 (Brooks Lake closure structure or alternate feature)
  • H&H modeling ongoing to construct new channel to contain project flows within bank, alleviating need to construct Brooks Lake feature and additional flowage easement
  • October – Com 12 (clear & snag Baton Rouge Bayou, White Bayou, Cypress Bayou)
  • Will be last order of work in overall project. Complete channel excavation and connection necessary to accommodate new flow into the canal.
DOTD Construction Management At-Risk Contracts
LA 964 – plans complete; Let contract in May 2021
PREVIOUS REPORT

  • LA 964 bridge – designs are 100% complete
  • Let project in May 2021
  • Mobilize 90 days after letting
  • Construction begins 90 days after letting
  • June 2022 – projected completion of bridge construction
NEW REPORT

  • 26 May – projected contract letting
  • Letting could slip to June or later unless Florida Gas encapsulation resolved
  • Florida Gas is the only obstacle
  • DOTD needs Florida Gas agreement by 5/21
  • Florida Gas engineer out of town this week (May 10); attorneys don’t want to meet without engineer
  • DOTD believes they will have to pull current advertisement and advertise again in June.
LA 67
Designs 100% complete; est. construction to start in May 2021
PREVIOUS REPORT

  • LA 67 – designs 90% complete – finalize this week (4/12 week)
  • Construction could still start in May 2021.
  • Boh Brothers - contractor
  • Provided contract execution proceeds without a hitch, construction could start in May
  • Projected to execute by the end of the Month or beginning of May so contractor can start construction in May 2021.
NEW REPORT

  • Designs 90% complete (no change from April)
  • End of June – contract execution
  •  *correction to above notes: No slip in schedule. Contract has always been scheduled to be awarded in June.
LA 19 – designs 90% complete
PREVIOUS REPORT

  • 12-26 April – receive comments and finalize construction cost estimate
  • Review with team; Then negotiate any outstanding issues
  • Then finalize construction agreement
  • Boh Brothers - contractor
  • Mobilize for construction – Notice to Proceed and mobilization can happen as soon as construction agreement signed
  • End of May/June – contractor at site possibly to drive test piles
  • July – construction for the entire project
  • Note: LA 19 has same timeframe as LA 67 but a few weeks behind. Complete project construction agreement might not be finalized in time for a June construction start but DOTD looking to do advance work packages that can have some construction activities still starting in June like the test piles.
  • Once reviewed and cost est review with contactor we can start construction; Will excavate on either side of each bridge; distance not specified
NEW REPORT

  • End of May – construction contract to be executed
  • Contractor will be formally awarded the project end of May and then the normal construction process starts. Assembly period etc.
  • Designs 100% complete
  • No issues with Florida Gas
  • Contractor is mobilizing during assembly period, which will likely happen for the test piles
  • Contractor has 60 days (until mid-July) to assemble
MISCELLANEOUS
  • Overall completion date at end of 2022 – Corps is on schedule based on new timeline
  • Majority of all Corps contracts will be awarded Summer of 2021
  • All contracts will be awarded by end of calendar year 2021
DOTD Real Estate
PREVIOUS REPORT
NEW REPORT
  • 84 parcels total required (2 new parcels needed for LA 19 bridge project)
  • 59 parcels acquired
  • 7 parcels in closing (all Agriland parcels, just waiting on a check)
  • 16 parcels in negotiation
  • 2 new parcels at Spur Lane – working on appraisals
  • 84 parcels total required (including 2 additional properties added last month)
  • April - 25 properties remaining to be resolved
  • May – 15 properties remaining to be resolved
  • 69 acquired (10 acquired in April)
  • 10 in closing – 4 to be acquired by end of the week (week of May 10)
  • 3 in negotiations
  • 2 require appraisals: one by next week, the one for the church will be by the end of next month.
DOTD Utilities
  • 61 relocation actions at 12 locations
  • 60 relos proceeding at various stages (compensability negotiations, designs, active/completed relocation)
  • 1 relo – outstanding issues appear to be resolved; proceeding with agreement to relo
  • Cong. Graves, Gov. Edwards, outside counsel in discussions to resolve concerns
Sincerely,
Garret Graves
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