Inner Harbor Navigation Canal Surge Barrier Wins OCEA Award

The largest civil works design-build project in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ history, the $1.35 billion Inner Harbor Navigation Canal (IHNC) Surge Barrier, was named the winner of the 2014 Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement (OCEA) award at this year’s Outstanding Projects and Leaders (OPAL) gala.

At 2 miles long and 26 feet high, the state-of-the-art barrier is designed to defend against the effects of a future storm surge event in southeast Louisiana’s vulnerable areas from Lake Borgne and the Gulf of Mexico.

The OCEA award, which “recognizes a project that makes a significant contribution to both the civil engineering profession and society as a whole,” is the highest and most prestigious honor ASCE can bestow on an infrastructure project.

The IHNC Surge Barrier is located at the confluence of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO), about 12 miles east of downtown New Orleans.

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Press Release, April 22, 2014