New culverts increasing water flow in Bayou Gauche

BAYOU GAUCHE - Two new in-house culvert installations are upgrading water flow down the No. 10 Canal in anticipation of a larger set of replacements expected to begin later this year.

The St. Charles Parish Public Works Department’s drainage crew recently installed additional culverts underneath Warren Drive and Kerri Drive after crews discovered obstructions. The two new installations are set at a higher elevation and include 36-inch high capacity smooth bore culverts.

The aim is to match the flow capacity of a 5 by 12 foot box culvert installed at Michael Drive in December. The Michael Drive project replaced two 48-inch culverts at a cost of $179,496. The area was targeted first because it is the last downstream public crossing with what was previously the smallest-sized culverts along the canal.

These latest improvements will also allow these crossings to work in tandem with other slated culvert replacements in 2011 under an approximately $1.6 million FEMA hazard mitigation grant award. The parish will soon go out for bids to replace culverts at Matherne Drive, Pleasant Valley Drive, Dixie Drive, Bayou Estates South and Pine Street.

Public Works Director Sam Scholle said the total effect of the multiple work phases would be better drainage in the low-lying subdivided area of Bayou Gauche.

“We’re using all the resources available to us to take a comprehensive approach to correcting the drainage in this area,” he said. “We know that after the larger project is completed, the folks in Bayou Gauche will a meaningful improvement for moderate to heavy rain events.”

The No. 10 Canal runs north / south through subdivisions in Bayou Gauche, ultimately curving west and connecting to the canal parallel to Highway 306 (Bayou Gauche Road). It is a major drainage outlet in the area.