Two, 550-ton sector gate leaves poised for installation next week in a $1.3-billion barrier being built to reduce risk of hurricane storm surge entering New Orleans’ vulnerable, eastern side, will plug a gaping hole in the city’s armor for the 2011 hurricane season.
On May 17, Massman Construction Co., Kansas City, Mo., is scheduled to begin installing the two 75-ft-wide, 42-ft-tall sector gate leaves that will form the armored door to a 150-ft-wide navigable passage through the northern end of the 1.8-mile-long barrier, which is know as the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal-Lake Borgne Storm Surge Barrier. It is part of a much larger defense system designed to reduce flood risk for the entire city.