Ridge Armoring Project Kicks Off in St. Bernard Parish

Officials of the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) joined yesterday St. Bernard Parish Government for the ground breaking of the Bayou Terre Aux Boeufs Ridge Restoration project.

The armoring project was designed by Royal Engineering and Deep South Construction and Salvage are in charge of the project.

St. Bernard Parish Government paid a total of $1.3 million for the design phase and CPRA has provided $2.7 million for the project which is expected to be completed by the end of April, 2020.

The Bayou Terre Aux Boeufs Ridge is fading through subsidence, sea level rise, and shoreline erosion.

Historically, ridges and vegetation have provided natural protection for areas such as Delacroix by damping storm surge energy.

However, the ridges are now lower and gaps have formed in many places, exposing Delacroix to storm surge, increased tidal exchange, and scouring.

Protecting the remaining ridge through strategic armoring is the first step towards restoring the entire ridge.