$12M contract awarded for levee repair near Hamburg

OMAHA, Neb. — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Omaha says it has awarded a $12 million contract to repair a Missouri River levee near Hamburg, Iowa, that broke during catastrophic flooding last month.

The Corps says the breach repair should provide temporary flood protection of critical infrastructure. The contract was awarded to Newt Marine Services of Dubuque, Iowa. The repair is expected to be completed within 80 calendar days after work starts.

Project manager Jeremy Szynskie says initial repairs will stop the flow of water through the levees so repairs can be made to Interstate 29 and the city of Hamburg.

The Corps also has begun planning permanent levee repairs to bring the damaged levees back to the same level of flood risk reduction the systems had prior to the flood.