The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has awarded a joint venture of Archer Western Contractors Ltd., Atlanta, and Alberici Constructors Inc., St. Louis, an early-contractor-involvement preconstruction services contract to help guide design decisions on levee construction on the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal in New Orleans. The $3.1-million ECI base contract is on a project with an estimated construction cost of more than $295 million. The Corps has the option to retain the ECI contractor for construction. In April, the Corps awarded another ECI base contract to a joint venture of Kiewit Corp., Omaha, Traylor Brothers Inc., Evansville, Ind., and four local firms.