Voters approved the local funding segment of the $70 million project, the state supplied $5 million, and another $8 million comes from the city, county and levee districts. The quarter-cent sales tax approved in August will contribute about $11 million.
The first phase of the project will completely replace the gatewell and drainage pipe that serves interior drainage for Rosecrans Memorial Airport and nearby areas. This phase is expected to be completed by October 2017. As part of this first phase, the final design of all remaining phases will be completed to ensure consistency.
Officials say the levee repairs will help protect the airport and the 139th Airlift Wing, thousands of jobs, and $2 billion in public and private assets in the protected areas of the federal levees.
The ground breaking will be held at 2pm, on Thursday, November 3 northeast of the airport at the entrance of the Arthur DuPree Conservation area on Northwest Dupree Road.