MVN_IPR_0001.pdf

MVD Civil Works CSO – IPR 0001 Innovative Construction Strategies and Solutions for

Maintenance Dredging of the Vermilion River, South Louisiana

Overview:

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District (CE-MVN), is seeking innovative construction strategies and solutions for maintenance dredging of the Vermilion River in south Louisiana. Maintenance is required to return deficient segments of the river to its authorized -9-foot depth and 100-foot width, thereby improving conveyance of flood waters and navigability for this dual-purpose waterway. However, dredged material disposal areas utilized during initial construction in the 1950s and envisioned for future maintenance have been overtaken by residential and agricultural development and are no longer available. Further, municipal drainage features (known locally as coulees) that terminate in and supply the river have introduced an assortment of anthropogenic debris that may be present throughout the dredging prism. Bridges with limited operability, adjacent roadways, utility crossings, and commercial and residential development typical of a major metropolitan area complicate access for dredging equipment and to plausible dredged material handling and disposal areas along the river’s 50-mile route from the upper limit of dredging in Lafayette, LA, to the Gulf Intercoastal Waterway

(GIWW).

Objective:

The objective is to identify conceptual maintenance operations (including dredging, dredged material transport, special handling, debris separation, and dredged material disposal) for three primary dredging reaches of the Vermilion River. The project is subdivided into the below three reaches based on environmental setting and the jurisdictional boundaries of local government authorities (Figure 1).

(1) The Upper Reach extends approximately 10 miles southward from the upper limit of dredging near the Mouton Bridge through the heavily developed city of Lafayette. Developments are residential and commercial and occupy both riverbanks. The three bridges within this reach, including the terminal Mouton and Camelia Boulevard bridges, are all in limited states of operability and may be assumed to be fixed in position. An estimated 925,000 Cubic Yards of dredged material would need to be removed from this reach to restore project dimensions.

(2) The Middle Reach extends approximately 12 miles southward from the Camelia Boulevard Bridge through a mix of residential and rural development in the towns of Broussard and Milton. Two earthen material loading and offloading facilities reside on the river’s west bank on either side of the E. Broussard Bridge with direct connection to the roadway. Bridges within this reach are in operable condition with variable spans between 40 and 60 feet. An estimated 739,000 Cubic Yards of dredged material would need to be removed from this reach to restore project dimensions.

(3) The Lower Reach extends approximately 27 miles from the Woodlawn Bridge southward through Abbeville to the GIWW. Bridges within this reach are functional with a minimal 50-foot horizontal clearance between piles. Adjacent lands are largely rural and agricultural, with some industry near the GIWW. An estimated 449,000 Cubic Yards of dredged material would need to be removed from this reach to restore project dimensions.

Problem Set / Challenges:

Aside from challenges related to the unique urbanized and agricultural setting of the three dredge reaches, the conceptual maintenance operations are constrained by the overall unit cost of dredging large volumes of shoal material, time required for maintenance of each segment, and the need to minimize quality-of-life impacts to metropolitan and rural areas. Solutions should assume that the work would need to be completed at a price-point in the tens-of-millions, within an approximate years-time from initiation, and with controls to minimize disruption from noise, odor, construction traffic, and roadway closures necessitated by dredging and the transport and disposal of dredged material. Additionally, and as dredged material disposal areas are unknown at this time, conceptual operations should be fitted to the surrounding landscape with consideration of access routes and the tract sizes of open lands that may reasonably be available near the Vermilion River. The identification of plausible disposal areas and access corridors is encouraged during development of solutions.

Estimated Government Funding Profile:

A minimum and/or maximum amount will not be provided. The government would like to see a variety of solutions not bound by a minimum or maximum funding level.

Estimated Period of Performance:

Approximately 6 months or less.

Submission Requirements:

Reference MVD CW CSO W912P925SC001, SECTION B.

Project Schedule:

Solutions Briefs Due 5 DEC 25

*Selection (RFP)/ Non-Selection Notifications 15 DEC 25

*Full Proposal Submitted 16 JAN 26

*Contract Award 30 JAN 26

*Dates may vary to accommodate project team and participant availability

Figure 1.