NEW ORLEANS — City officials broke ground Wednesday on the first phase of
a
$
1.2 billion flood-protection network designed to shield the downtown core
from storm surge, a project roughly two decades in the making that will ul-
timately span 14 miles of levees, floodwalls, and tidal gates along the
Mississippi River. The initial segment, a 2.1-mile reinforced levee fronting
the convention center, is scheduled for completion in early 2029, with the
full system expected to come online by 2032. City Hall estimates the com-
pleted network will protect roughly 68,000 residents and more than
$
9 bil-
lion in taxable property, financed through federal infrastructure grants and
a voter-approved
$
400 million bond measure.
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