KENNER – The Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport installed the flood gate on Monday at the rail road crossing on the west side of the airport.

This closed the last gap in the Pontchartrain Levee District (St. Charles Parish) lake levee hurricane protection system.

In other airport news, on Sept. 2, Runway 10-28, the Airport’s East-West Runway, reopened for relief operations following Hurricane Katrina, more than two months ahead of schedule.

The early completion of the project allowed for more efficient evacuation operations in the weeks following Katrina.

A team led by Boh Brothers Construction Company, completed the $64 million project ahead of schedule and on budget.

Immediately after the reopening of the runway, Boh Brothers Construction Company resumed work on the flood gate portion of the project to expedite its completion.

Portions of the East Jefferson Levee were raised nearly six feet to exceed design standards, ensuring its protection for years to come.

A $5 million floodgate was installed Monday to close the last gap in the Pontchartrain Levee District (St. Charles Parish) lake levee hurricane protection system.

This should mean that Airline Drive will no longer have to be closed and sandbagged as lake waters rise during storm events, as has happened in the past.

In addition, the East Jefferson Levee District was the beneficiary of the broken concrete and ground asphalt from the demolition of the old runway surface.

This material, valued at $3 million, was used in a much needed shoreline protection project along the Lake Pontchartrain shoreline.

An additional value that cannot be quantified in terms of dollars is the fact that the entire project will be completed in the fall of 2005. In tight budget times these hurricane and shoreline protection projects would have likely been delayed for years due to lack of funding.