FRESHWATER BAYOU, LA. (Continuing) Location. The project is located in Vermilion Parish, La., between the Atchafalaya and Calcasieu Rivers, extending from the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway at about mile 161.2 to the minus 12 foot contour in the Gulf of Mexico. Authorization.-1960 River and Harbor Act. Lock: The lock will be a salt water guard lock located at approximately mile 1.5. The gates will be sector type in reinforced concrete U-frame bays with timber guide walls and reinforced concrete sheet pile chamber walls. The usable length of the lock will be 600 feet, width 56 feet, and bottom elevation -14.0 m.l.g. Channels: The channel provides a new 12- by 125-foot waterway between the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (mile 161.2) and the Gulf of Mexico generally along the Schooner Bayou Cutoff, Schooner Bayou, Six Mile Canal, Belle Isle Canal, and Freshwater Bayou. Jetties: Construction of jetties to the 6-foot contour will be deferred until the need therefor is justified. The waterway will provide access to an offshore area of about 3 million acres which is a source of petroleum, gas, salt, and sulfur. Approximately 59 percent of the area is under Federal jurisdiction, 5 percent under State jurisdiction, and ownership of the remainder is in dispute. The nearest suitable water routes to this area are the Atchafalaya River, 56 miles to the east, and the Calcasieu River, 65 miles to the west. In addition to the mineral resources, fishing is a major industry. The waterway will provide a shorter route for the larger fishing boats and will also provide a harbor or refuge during gulf storms and hurricanes. During the winter months. a considerable quantity of fur-bearing animals are trapped in the nearby coastal marshes. Inasmuch as there are no highway or railroads which traverse the area, a means of transportation is provided by the natural waterways which interlace the areas. The improvement will provide more efficient access to this area. Annual transportation savings are estimated to be $632,000. Fiscal year 1965.-The requested amount of $1,400,000 will be applied to the following: Initiate contract for construction of salt water guard lock, vicinity of mile 1.5. $1, 118, 000 Continue engineering and design_ 10, 000 Continue supervision and administration_ 100, 000 172, 000 1, 400, 000 Total----- Funds requested are the minimum required to continue construction of the salt water guard lock at an economical rate and to complete most of the channels at the same time. Non-Federal costs.-The initial investment required of local interests in construction of the authorized project is estimated at $198,000, broken down as follows: Status of local cooperation.-Assurances of local cooperation have been furnished by Vermilion Parish Police Jury and accepted by the United States. Right of entry for entire project was given by the police jury on February 6, 1963. Transfer of rights-of-way to the United States, supported by acceptable title evidence, remains to be completed. Comparison of Federal (Corps of Engineers) cost estimates.-The current Federal (Corps of Engineers) cost estimate of $7,700,000 is an increase of $170,000 over the latest estimate ($7,530,000) submitted to Congress. The major change was an increase $212,000 in the cost of the lock based on more detailed design. This increase was partially offset by a net reduction of $42,000 in other features. Summary construction program (PB−1), fiscal years 1964 and 1965 MISSISSIPPI RIVER-GULF OUTLET, LA. (Continuing) Location. The project is located in the southeastern portion of Louisiana east of the Mississippi River. It is essentially a deep draft seaway canal extending for approximately 76 miles in a southeasterly direction from the city of New Orleans to the Gulf of Mexico. The plan of improvement provides for a 36- by 500-foot channel, protective dikes, a turning basin, and a highway bridge. Also provided for, when economically justified, is a new lock in the vicinity of Meraux, La., with suitable connecting channel, or the replacement of the existing lock at the entrance to the Mississippi River. Authorization.-Public Law 455, 84th Congress, 2d session, approved March 29, Benefit-cost ratio.-1.6 to 1. 1956. 1 In addition, local interests have expended about $55,000,000 on terminal facilities of the port and propose future expenditures of $59,600,000. Channels: PHYSICAL DATA Channel, 36 feet deep by 500 feet wide from inner harbor navigation canal to Chendeleur Islands; 66 miles. Eased entrance channel, from Chendeleur Islands to 38-foot depth in Gulf of Mexico; 9.38 miles. Turning basin, vicinity Bayou Dupre, 36 feet deep by 1,000 feet wide and 2,000 feet long. Dikes in Breton Sound: Northeast retention dike to 6-foot contour. Dike across Breton Sound (20.2 miles long) (if required). Bridge: Fixed high-level vehicular bridge at Louisiana Highway No. 47 (Paris Road). JUSTIFICATION New Orleans is the gateway to the great system of inland waterways of the central valley of the Nation. Adequate outlets to the Gulf of Mexico are essential to provide economical transportation to this area. The project is providing an additional outlet to the gulf via a shorter route than the existing river route and one which will not be subject to large fluctuations in the stages of the river. The improvement provides a tidewater outlet and harbor sufficiently spacious for dispersion of docks and cargo-handling facilities, thus permitting flexible operation of the inland and seagoing commerce which is utilizing the river, the tidewater canal, and the Intracoastal Waterway. The project provides savings in sailing time and ship turnaround time, reduces navigation hazards, and offers relief from congestion. The project "Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet" is a virgin outlet from the main stem of the river at New Orleans; therefore, tonnages and commerce on the Mississippi River between New Orleans and the Mouths of the Passes are used to justify this navigation project. Seagoing ships began to use the partially completed outlet in July 1963. Commerce of the port of New Orleans has grown from about 7,500,000 tons in 1916 to about 71,569,913 tons in 1962. Public terminals extending over 71⁄2 miles, together with the industrial developments and privately owned wharfage, have practically exhausted the available east bank riverfront as well as the inner harbor space. The present wharfage space is already inadequate for existing traffic and with the expected continued growth the situation will soon be critical. Commerce on the Mississippi River between New Orleans and the Mouths of the Passes amounted to 93,752,682 tons in 1962. Excluding petroleum products and petroleum crude, which together totaled over 44,448,343 tons, the six most important types of cargo were Commodity: Grain___. Aluminum ore and scrap_. Sulfur Iron and steel, manufactured and semimanufactured_ Soybeans... 1 Liquid, 2,188,945, and dry, 1,094,798. Tons 12, 862, 816 6,392, 853 13, 283, 743 2, 662, 179 1,750, 047 3,540, 538 Fiscal year 1965.—The requested amount of $8,750,000 will be applied as follows: Initiate contracts for dredging project channel__. $1, 209, 000 Construction of fixed high-level vehicular bridge at Louisiana 2, 325, 000 Enlargement to project channel, stations 1809+80 to 1930+00 and stations 2049+40 to 2160, and maintain dredging station 3160+00 to 3980+00_. Engineering and design__ 2.490,000 65,000 Supervision and administration___. 510,000 Complete Total----- 400,000 8,750,000 The early completion of this waterway is desirable to permit anticipated traffic to take advantage of the savings in mileage and transportation costs and use of the rapidly developing industrial area and its facilities at the upper terminal of the waterways. Non-Federal costs.-The investment required of local interests in construction of the authorized project is estimated at $8,730,000 for furnishing the required rights-of-way, spoil-disposal areas, relocation of utilities, and damages. Local 3 dredging contracts for project channel during construction, stations 370+60 to 683+78; 1287+00 to 1365+00; 918+00 to 1235+50; Bayou La Loutre to station 1809+80; 2420 to 3160 1,751,000 Dredging contract for turning basin vicinity inner harbor navigation canal____. interests are required to operate and maintain the highway bridge to be built by the Government and provide or modify and maintain all necessary utility and other highway bridges or relocations that may be required. It is estimated that the average annual expenditure for maintenance, operation, and replacement will total $62,000. In addition, local interests are required to construct, maintain, and operate terminal facilities commensurate with requirements of the expanded port. The breakdown of non-Federal cost estimate follows: Lands and damages__. Relocations___ Other Total__. $4, 508, 200 3, 533, 100 688, 700 8,730, 000 In keeping the port facilities abreast of development, the port authorities constructed and opened to use in 1923 a lock and inner harbor navigation canal providing 61⁄2 miles of additional 30-foot draft dockage space at a cost of $25 million. Since 1952, the port commission has spent an additional $30 million in modernizing the terminal facilities of the port. The Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans is planning an expenditure through fiscal year 1970 of $59,600,000 in connection with the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet, as follows: Status of local cooperation.-On December 10, 1956, the Governor of the State of Louisiana designated the Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans as the cooperating agency for this project. Assurances of local cooperation were furnished by the Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans on April 4, 1957, and approved by the Chief of Engineers on August 20, 1957. Rights-of-way and spoil areas have been furnished for the entire project. Comparison of Federal (Corps of Engineers) cost estimates.-No change from the latest estimate submitted to Congress. However, adjustments have been made between the feature estimates. Summary construction program (PB−1), fiscal years 1964 and 1965 |