Louisville District civil and military projects get underway with Recovery Act funds

Published July 24, 2009

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) for the Army Corps of Engineers nationwide will create or maintain approximately 57,400 direct construction industry jobs. Additionally, 64,000 indirect jobs in firms supplying or supporting the construction and the businesses that sell goods and services will be created.

The ARRA military construction and civil works projects that the Louisville District will undertake meet these five congressionally mandated criteria:

  • Be obligated/executed quickly
  • Result in high, immediate employment
  • Have little schedule risk
  • Be executed by contract or direct hire of temporary labor
  • Complete a project phase, a project, an element, or will provide a useful service that does not require additional funding

The projects are distributed very broadly across the United States. Potentially, the Army Corps of Engineers had more than $15 billion in work that could have been done, however in the final tally, $4.6 billion-or approximately one third-actually made the list of final ARRA projects nationwide.

The ARRA projects’ progress is tracked and scrutinized in an effort to provide transparency to the American people and to ensure project milestones are being met. The Army Corps of Engineers participates in interagency ARRA teleconferences with the office of the Vice President. These calls highlight significant activities regarding ARRA civil works projects.

A project summary for the Louisville District includes the following projects:

 

Military Projects estimated to be $137 million:

  • Brockton, Mass.
  • Defense Construction Supply Center
  • Detroit Arsenal
  • Fort Buchanan
  • Fort Knox
  • Providence (Cranston), Rhode Island
  • Puerto Rico
  • Rock Island Arsenal
  • Tacoma, Washington

Civil Works Projects estimated to be $53 million:

  • Olmsted Locks and Dam
  • John T. Myers Locks and Dam
  • Ohio River Greenway, Indiana
  • Ohio River Shoreline
  • Markland Locks and Dam
  • Duck Creek, Ohio

       

Numerous Army Corps of Engineers lake projects were awarded ARRA funding for staffing safety and recreation improvements.

The Louisville District made a recent award for military projects. The Tacoma, Washington pier project was awarded on July 2.

For civil works contracts, the first of three Markland Locks and Dam contracts was awarded on June 30. This was for fabrication of a custom milling machine and associated hardware to be used on site for milling lock embedded metals in preparation for installation of new lock miter gates. The second contract will be an award for a miter gate assembly pier to support installation and maintenance of new lock miter gates. The third contract will be for fabrication and installation of new lock filling and emptying valves to be awarded in Fiscal Year 2009. Within the next 60 days, the three Markland Lock and Dam project contracts are expected to be awarded.

As of June, approximately 17 civil works projects and one military project were awarded under the ARRA.

Joanne M. Milo, supervisory program management and deputy chief, in Planning, Programs, Project Management Division, has oversight of the District’s ARRA program.