Protecting the Citizens of New Orleans

Building for Future Protection

Jefferson Parish has the second highest population in the state and is home to over 432,000 people living in the New Orleans metropolitan area. While the parish wasn’t as hard hit by Hurricane Katrina as other parishes, its infrastructure and buildings still experienced severe wind damage that shut down all electrical, water, and sewer services parish wide requiring full evacuation.

Project Details

The improved Segnette State Park floodwall is part of the New Orleans 100-year storm protection plan to further protect the parish from future hurricanes. It provides protection between the Lake Cataouatche levee and the Segnette Pump Stations. The existing I-walls and all associated infrastructure were removed and replaced by new T-walls, steel flood gates, and gate monoliths with cast-in-place scour protection. The floodwall is supported by a combination of steel sheet piling, precast battered concrete piles, and steel H-piles. Approximately 2,000 pair of sheet piles, 2,500 pre-stressed concrete piles, and 150 H-piles were used in construction of the floodwall. Cathodic protection was also provided to slow or eliminate the corrosion process. Additionally, the project included large motor operated valves that provide a means of closing the existing pump discharge lines that otherwise could allow water to pass through the floodwall in a flood event.