After a design summit to cut costs, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and its contractors have headed off a possible $150-million to $300-million cost overrun on the $1-billion Gulf Intracoastal Waterway West Closure Complex in New Orleans. The closure complex consists of a strategic storm-surge barrier of walls, levees, gates and pumps to protect the southern flank of the city. It includes navigation gates and what will become the largest pump station in the U.S.
As designs neared completion this fall, the Corps realized costs were heading to exceed authorized funding. So, from Oct. 26 to 29, representatives from prime contractor Gulf Intracoastal Constructors—a joint venture of Kiewit Corp., Omaha, Neb., and Traylor Bros. Inc., Evansville, Ind.—as well as from engineering firms and consultants, met with representatives from several Corps districts in New Orleans to brainstorm cost-saving alternatives.