GALVESTON, Texas (March 7, 2017) – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Galveston District staff announced today that the earthen cofferdam was completed – a major milestone for the Addicks Dam construction project.
"The Addicks earthen cofferdam is the initial critical feature that has been completed to date,” said Resident Engineer John Long, USACE Galveston District. “The final lifts of compacted fill that brought the cofferdam up to the required elevation were placed and the project’s technical team completed a technical review and inspection of the Addicks Cofferdam last week.”
According to Long, the Addicks’ cofferdam was accepted and deemed operational effective earlier this week and the contractor will now proceed with the excavation of the existing embankment for construction of the new outlet structure at Addicks Dam.
The USACE Galveston District awarded a contract in 2015 to Granite Construction Company for construction of new outlet structures at the Addicks and Barker Dams in west Houston, as part of a long-term plan to address the aging infrastructure that has protected the Houston metropolitan area for more than 70 years.
“The Corps’ primary objective is to maintain public safety by ensuring the dams we own and operate are safe and the risks to the public are minimized,” said Project Manager Rick Villagomez. “The Corps routinely inspects all of its dams nationwide under its Dam Safety Program – a program that shows our commitment to protecting lives, property and the environment by ensuring that all dams are designed, constructed, operated and maintained as safely and effectively as possible.”
For more news and information, visit www.swg.usace.army.mil. Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GalvestonDistrict or follow us on Twitter, www.twitter.com/USACEgalveston.
Release no. 17-007