Three construction teams will beef up repair work at Lake Okeechobee’s aging dike in South Florida.
The Army Corps of Engineers awarded a $29 million contract on Wednesday to Hayward Baker of Maryland. A reinforcing wall is being built through the middle of the earthen dike and a supporting berm will be added around the outside. Two other companies were already approved to start work this month.
The 143-mile, 70-year-old Herbert Hoover Dike protects lakeside communities from flooding.
The companies will shore up the most vulnerable section, a 22-mile stretch between Port Mayaca and Belle Glade.
The project is projected to cost more than $800 million and take until 2030.
Summer storms prompted the corps to start dumping lake water out to sea to ease the strain on the dike.
From Staff and Wire Reports
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