The agency is managing project construction for the state, while the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers maintains the canal itself and will operate the lock complex structure when work is completed. Sealevel Construction Inc., Thibodaux, La., was named general contractor of the estimated $320-million project set for completion by April 2028.

Kathleen Rodriguez, a company spokesperson, said Sealevel is responsible for construction of the structural portion of the project, while Rigid Constructors, Lafayette, La., will lead dredging work. While self-performing site work, Sealevel will also build coffer damns and two sector gates with an estimated 55,000 cu yd of concrete, and install pipe, timber, concrete and sheet piles, with the largest piling measuring 184-ft long and 30 in. in dia.

The lock complex aims to prevent saltwater from entering the Terrebonne Basin while also distributing freshwater into estuaries to promote growth of thousands of wetland acres, improving conditions for wildlife and area fisheries. 

The lock complex, to measure 110 ft wide and 800 ft long, will feature inland and Gulf of Mexico-side sector gates on each side and will connect to the Bubba Dove barge floodgate by a floodwall spanning the channel. Together, the structures will enable large ship passage. Phase 2 project components include construction of an operational area, control building and 175-ft access bridge. The contractor will dredge an estimated 135,000 cu yd of material to shore up 15 acres of marsh habitat.

“This project is the linchpin of the entire Morganza-to-the-Gulf Hurricane Risk Reduction Project,” said authority board member Anthony Alford. “The ability to let freshwater flow freely throughout the canals and tributaries of Morganza that have been decimated by saltwater will breathe new life into these waterways. This project has been in the works for well over a decade, and there have been times where I've wondered if I would ever see it completed.”