Greenup Industries Fortifies Louisiana Levees and Increases Storm Protection in Time for 2021 Hurricane Season

NEW ORLEANS, May 13, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Greenup Industries ("Greenup") was awarded a portion of the West Shore Lake Pontchartrain Project (WSLPP) in January 2020, a major hurricane and storm damage risk reduction project benefitting a three-parish area in southern Louisiana. The company's scope of work includes excavating, processing, and stockpiling clay material and other work within the Bonnet Carre Spillway. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reported that levee construction is expected to require 7 million to 9 million cubic yards of clay material. The Bonnet Carre Spillway has roughly 3.5 million cubic yards available, while the rest of the clay is to come from commercial sources. The $20,520,000 WSLPP contract ("Stockpile II) included excavating, processing, and stockpiling of 1.5 million cubic yards of clay from the Bonnet Carre Spillway to two stockpile sites.

In November 2020, Greenup was awarded a 2nd Stockpile contract for excavating, processing and stockpiling clay material at the Bonnet Carre Spillway (Stockpile I). The Stockpile I contract is currently valued at approximately $19,900,000, including modifications. The material will support the construction of approximately 17.5 miles of levee system that will provide 100-year level risk reduction to the area extending from the Bonnet Carre Spillway to Garyville, Louisiana.

The Stockpile II work was initially estimated for competition by January 22, 2021 however high river levels and an unusually active hurricane season in 2020 created some delays in the stockpiling process. According to Steve Keen, Greenup Industries' construction manager, WSLPP, "Approximately 157,000 cubic yards have been stockpiled thus far. This represents 25 percent of the 500,000 cubic yards to be excavated and stockpiled," he said. "We have been working on the stockpiling project for nearly a year. When you say dig clay and stockpile it, there's much more to it than that," Keen said. "In the Spillway itself, you have to clear through all of the shrubs and get them out of the way. Then there are usually several feet of sand on top. You have to move that before you can actually start digging the clay out." He added that the clay cannot be too wet or too dry when moving it and that workers achieve the optimized moisture level by chopping the clay up and letting the sun and wind harden it. The clay then is loaded into trucks and hauled down Airline Highway onto a newly constructed access road in the sugarcane fields, near the River Forest subdivision. The access road into the field was part of the scope of the project. Greenup widened the road with asphalt and extend the access road to where the levee is going to be built. In addition, the company also built a new asphalt ramp at the back of the Spillway by the existing boat launch.

"These are two of the preliminary things that needed to be done before we can start hauling any clay out," Keen said. "We started that in late March to early April 2021." Greenup hired flag persons to make sure everyone is aware of the increased traffic and remained in communication with the St. John Parish Sheriff's Office to ensure officers were on detail to keep the area safe. "The project will bring a significant number of trucks entering Airline from the East side of the Spillway and exiting into the stockpile area, and also coming out of the stockpile area heading back to the Spillway to get loaded again," Keen said. Greenup is currently contracted to stockpile 1.5 million cubic yards. However, this could be extended by an extra 500,000 to equal 2 million cubic yards.

Greenup is adept at handling large-scale projects for the public good. From refurbished roads and bridges to industrial construction and maintenance, Louisiana-based Greenup Industries is behind countless projects across the Gulf South that point to the region's growth and vibrancy. The company has expanded by leaps and bounds since its founding in 2012, becoming a leading construction contractor and provider of maintenance and third-party procurement services. With operations in Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi and Alabama, Greenup Industries is poised for expansion into Florida soon, says founder and CEO Rodney Greenup, a New Orleans native who began his career as a mechanical engineer and project manager with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. "We're continuing to grow and diversify," says Greenup. "There's a lot of growth potential and work to be done throughout the region."

About Greenup Industries

Based in Kenner, La., Greenup Industries provides contracting and special construction services to industrial, commercial, and municipal clients. It also has a division focused on maintenance and staffing services to support various industries. The company's self-designed portal, named Greenup Tracker, connects third-party vendors with industrial facilities in need of painters, plumbers, groundskeepers, carpenters, and other low to moderate security clearance subcontractors. Greenup Industries is certified as a Minority-Owned Business (MBE) by the National Minority Supplier Diversity Council.

In 2019, Greenup Industries was awarded the prestigious ACG Louisiana Award for the Emerging Growth Company of the Year. Greenup and his team of nearly two dozen employees have worked on a number of high-profile projects, including a major overhaul of New Orleans' city streets, an ongoing project.

If you would like more information on this project, please contact Greenup Industries at 225.283.4843 or [email protected].

Media Contact

Rodney Greenup, Greenup Industries, 225 283 4843, [email protected]

Becky Rolland, Corbec Meda, LLC, 504 236 7919, [email protected]

SOURCE Greenup Industries