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Parish plans bypass and multi‑year replacement for critical water-control structure
Summary
St. Martin Parish officials outlined a two-step plan to replace an aging control structure: build a temporary bypass that preserves normal flows, then construct coffer dams and replace the structure. Design work is underway; officials estimate 2–3 years for construction and funding comes from a district repair-and-replacement fund.
Speaker 1 told the meeting the parish will replace a failing control structure in a staged approach so river and drainage flows are not interrupted. "So after hearing all these recommendations, the board decided to go ahead and replace this structure," Speaker 1 said, adding the plan begins with a bypass structure to preserve normal flow.
The work will proceed in two main phases, Speaker 1 said. First, contractors will build a bypass — two roughly 8‑foot pipes sized to match typical flow — so the system can continue to operate by gravity while crews build coffer dams on each side. "It's about 4 feet different that this structure is holding back," Speaker 1 said, describing a roughly four‑foot water‑level differential between the two sides of the structure and stressing the flood‑control importance of the asset.
Once the bypass is operational, crews will pump out the isolated area and remove the old control structure to install a new one. Speaker 1 estimated engineering is underway now and that, on a best‑case schedule, the construction phase would take "2 to 3 years to construct." He cautioned permitting and final design requirements could extend that timeline: certain permits require a defined level of design before an application is accepted.
Funding for the project, Speaker 1 said, will come from the district's repair‑and‑replacement fund. "The money for this project is coming from money that the district has been saving," he said, noting the same fund paid for an earlier L'Oreal Canal project. That, officials said, allows local control over priorities and timing without drawing on other drainage revenue streams.
Parish officials emphasized the bypass is being sized so residents should not see a change in normal elevation or delivery during construction. The parish will continue engineering and permitting work this winter and expects to proceed to procurement and construction once permitting and bidding are complete.
