Southern Railroad Underpass - Tulane Avenue Interchange, New Orleans

South Louisiana is no stranger to flooding and a city that has been frequently visited by rising water is New Orleans. Several years ago, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development evaluated the low-lying I-10/I-610 area, which serves as a southbound evacuation route, and recognized the need for infrastructure changes in this flood-prone area that has often been impassable due to water buildup.

The $60 million Southern Railroad Underpass - Tulane Avenue Interchange project was designed to address the inadequacies of this important thoroughfare by providing a safe escape route for evacuees during severe weather events.

This unique project combined the more traditional challenges of urban interstate highway construction with the installation of a flood control facility.

The multifaceted project entailed the widening of Interstate 10, reconstruction of the ramps and intersection with Tulane Avenue, bridge widening over Metairie Road and the erection of sound walls. A major feature of the project is a new seven-story-tall pump station.

The station, which extends 30 ft. below ground, connects to a 2,000-ft.-long double-barrel box culvert. Three 72-in. pumps and one 48-in. pump discharge water through steel pipelines that terminate at the 17th Street Canal. Construction of the pump station required 20,000 cu. yds. of concrete and 320,000 pounds of structural steel.

The combined pumping capacity of all four pumps is 381,000 gallons per minute, and in flooding conditions can reduce flood duration from 20 hours to one hour.

James Construction Group began construction in February 2002 and completed the project in August 2004.

The work performed by the contractor will play an important role in protecting the New Orleans area from potentially devastating floods. The pump station, in particular, has garnered interest beyond the state's borders. National Geographic will profile the project in an upcoming article on Louisiana's wetlands.