District issues two task orders to ensure safe, reliable navigation on Mississippi River

Memphis District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Published Aug. 6, 2020
District issues two task orders to ensure safe, reliable navigation on Mississippi River

The Memphis District issued two Task Orders for channel improvement work stone repairs to existing damaged dikes, hardpoints, revetments, and other river training structures and placement of riprap upper bank paving for stone protection above articulated concrete mattress. The work will take place at seven different river locations within the Memphis District.

Keeping the Mississippi River open for safe and reliable commercial navigation is one of the most critical missions assigned to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. According to the Lower Mississippi River Conservation Committee, which is  a coalition of 12 state natural resource conservation and environmental quality agencies in Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee, around 505 million tons or $80-$114 billion dollars of commerce flows down the Mississippi River each year.

Working to ensure this lifeblood of American commerce flows uninterrupted, the Memphis District issued two Task Orders late last month to Midwest Construction Company for channel improvement work. These were for stone repairs to existing damaged dikes, hardpoints, revetments, and other river training structures and placement of riprap upper bank paving for stone protection above articulated concrete mattress (ACM).  The work will take place at seven different river locations within the Memphis District.

Project Manager Mark Mazzone said the district issued these two task orders to repair damages caused by the 2019 Mississippi River Flood. Funds from 2019 Supplemental Damage appropriations will cover the cost.

Mazzone went on to say improvements to the navigation channel like these are done by constructing various stone navigation structures including dikes, bendway weirs, chevrons, and hardpoints as well as stone and ACM revetments.

These features are constantly under attack by the erosive forces of the river’s currents. We counter these potentially destructive forces by using various types of stone to repair and restore these features to their original, designed dimensions.

In addition to Mazzone, other members of the Project Delivery Team include Technical Lead - Preston Snyder; River Engineering Design Team - Cole Stonebrook, Jennifer Redden, Landon Mills, John Zacher; Environmental - Mike Thron/Pam Lieb; Cost Engineer - Conrad Stacks;  Real Estate - John Green, Bobby Porter; Geospatial/Survey - Ed Dean, Phil Petitt; Construction Branch - Del Warfield;  Office of Counsel - Ned McNaughton; Contracting - Judy Stallion and Steven Austin; Administrative Contracting Officer - Loy Hamilton (Wynne Area Office); Contracting Officer's Representative - Gene McAvoy (Wynne Area Office);  Quality Assurance Representative - Steven Southern (Wynne Area Office).