Corps to spend millions on Cape floodwall repairs

The Army Corps of Engineers plans to spend over $9 million to repair Cape Girardeau's floodwall and upgrade two pumping stations over the next several years. But federal officials say there's no reason to panic.

This isn't New Orleans, where Hurricane Katrina caused levees to break. The concrete wall that runs along Cape Girardeau's riverfront should continue to keep Mississippi River floodwaters from swamping the city's downtown as it has for nearly half a century, federal officials said.

"It is not in danger of failing," said Lloyd Smith, chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson.

But corps officials said the floodwall needs repairs.

Those repairs, which have been in the works for the past few years, could begin as early as next fall and could take 18 months to three years to complete, Smith said.

Local officials and civic leaders worry that the repairs could damage the city's new downtown mural and force the repainting of some parts of the mural.

Tamara Atchley, project manager for the Corps of Engineers, said the agency hopes to minimize any damage. Even so, the corps won't pay to repaint any part of the mural. The federal agency's responsibility focuses on flood prevention, she said.

As a result, the River Heritage Mural Association may end up having to repair the mural.

Tim Blattner, president of the River Heritage Mural Association, said he hopes floodwall repairs can be made between the mural panels rather than through the middle of one of the mural scenes. "It will be a lot simpler for us to repair," he said.

The mural, which was dedicated in July, depicts local history. Emerson, whose late husband is shown on the mural, helped secure $175,000 in federal funds for the $300,000 project.

As for the floodwall itself, corps officials said expansion joints in the concrete structure need to be replaced or resealed.

A section of the concrete wall makes a jog near Independence Street. That section has shifted slightly. The corps plans to replace a small section of that part of the wall, Atchley said.

Farther south, the corps wants to add a rock berm to strengthen an old railroad retaining wall that runs along the river in front of the floodwall. "It is not in real good shape," she said.

While that wall isn't part of the floodwall, the corps worries that it might collapse some day and undermine the floodwall foundation.

Atchley said the corps plans to rebuild one section of the concrete wall near the north end of the floodwall to better protect the city from a catastrophic flood, and to improve the two pumping stations, replacing antiquated electrical equipment.

Engineering and design work will cost close to $2 million, Atchley said. The repairs themselves will cost over $7 million.

Construction of the floodwall and earthen levees began in 1956. The entire project wasn't completed until 1964.

The concrete wall and earthen levees extend over 7,200 feet along the banks of the Mississippi River, from Sloan's Creek on the north south to Morgan Oak Street. The concrete wall alone stretches some 4,000 feet.

mbliss@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 123