Kansas City District Completes Fiscal Year 17 Project Awards

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District, has wrapped up the final contract awards for fiscal year 2017.

The Civil Works mission is to provide quality, responsive service to the nation and assist with water resource development activities including flood risk management, navigation, recreation and infrastructure and environmental stewardship, including emergency response.

“The work we do is important and provides significant benefit to the taxpayer,” said John Holm, chief of Civil Works branch. “Our district team, in conjunction with diverse stakeholders such as communities, industry and environmental groups, strive to provide high quality and innovative solutions to the water resource challenges we face. We are proud of the successful projects that have resulted from these strong partnerships.”

Some highlights from the Civil Works branch this fiscal year are listed below.

• Dodson Industrial Project (Kansas City); final contract awarded for $13 million to construct 5,500 feet of earthen embankment to tie together previously completed portions of the flood risk reduction project. Anticipated to be completed in 2021, the project will provide 0.2 percent annual chance of exceedance level of flood protection to the Dodson Industrial District.
• Levee system L455 and R471-460 project (St. Joseph); the overall levee system project was fully federally funded this fiscal year in the amount of nearly 42 million. With a combined cost-shared effort with (St. Joseph, Buchanan County) the total estimated cost is nearly $71 million. Beginning in early 2018, construction will commence on the Brown’s Branch gatewell structure at the L455 levee unit.
• Topeka Levee System (Topeka, Kan.); the final construction contract will provide improvements to the levee by adding enlarged berms and floodwall modifications to the existing system. The project is anticipated to be completed in 2020 and will increase the reliability of the levee.
• Emergency Management; a number of contracts were awarded in August and September to repair and restore levees damaged by the 2015 flood events (Ray-Carroll, Reveaux, Howard County No. 6, Lower Chariton and Tebbetts levees). Several Kansas City District personnel have deployed to various locations in support of hurricanes Maria, Irma, Harvey. Several personnel are currently on standby to deploy for long-term recovery support.
• Turkey Creek – the Kansas City District recently awarded a contract worth more than $26.6 million to Radmacher Brothers Excavating of Pleasant Hill, Mo., to decrease flooding near Turkey Creek here in Kansas City to help alleviate some of the high water issues that have been affecting the Southwest Boulevard and 31st street area.

According to Scott Young, chief of Environmental Branch, the Kansas City District oversees projects spanning from the state of Washington to New York.

“We are currently working with multiple stakeholders for our projects here in the Heartland. We hold quarterly meetings for different projects to engage with the community on developments and value their input,” said Scott Young.