LULING — In late July, $1.9 million in grant money from the Department of Transportation and Development was approved for St. Charles Parish to continue work on the Willowridge Pump Station, T-Wall and improvements to the Willowridge Reach of the West Bank Hurricane Protection Levee.

The parish was awarded the grants in 2011 and 2012.

“Levees are our top priority in this parish,” St. Charles Parish President Larry Cochran said.

“We would not be able to continue the work we are doing in Willowridge without the state’s approval of these funds.”

The funding was awarded to the parish as part of the Statewide Flood Control Program by the Joint Legislative Committee on Transportation, Highways and Public Works.

It was split into two separate grants for $950,000 each: Willowridge Pump Station and Willowridge Levee Improvements.

Phase I of the Willowridge Reach, the 9,500 foot long levee, was completed in April providing 7.5 feet of flood protection to residents in the area.

Phase II of the Willowridge Reach, the pump station, is currently under construction and is expected to be complete by the end of 2016.

It will pump 350 cubic feet per second and will reduce the demand for drainage requirements of the Willowridge and Willowdale Sub-divisions currently supplied by the Cousins Pump Station.   The operation of the Willowridge Pump Station will effectively provide additional capacity for Drainage Areas currently served by the Cousins Pump Station.

Phase III of the Willowridge Reach, the Willowdale Pump Station T-Wall that ties into Davis Diversion is also under construction. Crews have installed sheet pile for dewatering the construction area for the Willowdale Pump Station T-Wall foundation.

While the T-wall is under construction the parish will continue to operate the Willowdale Pump Station Temporary pumping capacity will be utilized during the installation of each discharge pipe in the T-Wall.