Contacts:  
Corps of Engineers Public Affairs, 206-764-3750
Lewis County Public Works, John Huestis, 360-740-2697
Airport Levee:  Allyn Roe, Chehalis-Centralia Airport, 360-748-1230
Long Road Levee:  Nadyne Tauscher, Lewis County Dike District Two, 360-330-2625

SEATTLE — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Lewis County, Wash., and Dike District Two are conducting repair work over the next few weeks on sections of the Airport and Long Road levees, which were damaged in 2007 flooding. 

Contractors will begin repair work on the levees Sept. 24. 

The flood resulted in 2,250 linear feet of damage to the Airport levee and 1,500 feet of damage to the Long Road levee. Workers will place large rock along the toe of the repair and place gravel and riprap along the riverward slope to repair the levee to pre-flood conditions.  Construction is estimated to cost approximately $382,000 for Airport levee repairs and $269,000 for Long Road levee repairs. 

Work will be conducted concurrently on these projects and is expected to take about three weeks.

The public also needs to be aware, for their safety, that there will be increased truck traffic along Airport Road/Way and Northwest Airport Road/Way near the Chehalis-Centralia Airport, as well as Long Road and South Street in Chehalis, Wash.
Public Law 84-99 enables the Corps to assist state and local authorities in flood fight activities and cost share in the repair of flood protection structures.

The Airport and Long Road levees are two of more than 50 levees damaged in the region during recent flooding throughout the region.  Levee repairs began last year in western Washington counties, and repairs in these areas will continue through this year and into 2009.

For more information on the Corps, visit the Seattle District Web site at www.nws.usace.army.mil and select Levees in the Corps Topics box, top right hand corner.