KANSAS CITY, Mo. — As the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District wrapped up final contract awards for fiscal year 2018, the team took a moment to reflect on a few major accomplishments and how they tie into the district mission.
The district awarded about 1,360 contracts worth more than $328 million in fiscal year 2018.
“I am very proud of the teamwork that was on display as we concluded the fiscal year, as our professionals delivered these projects. Our stakeholders work incredibly well with us so that these projects, large and small, benefit our region and beyond,” said Col. Doug Guttormsen, commander, Kansas City District.
“Our team worked hard late into 30 September, with the larger team across the district and the Northwestern Division to complete many critical contract actions,” said Gwendolyn Miller, chief of the Contracting Division. “We work to ensure that we award contracts that meet the needs of our stakeholders and assure stewardship of government resources.”
The Civil Works mission is to provide quality, responsive service to the nation and assist with water resource development activities including flood risk management, navigation, recreation, infrastructure and environmental stewardship, and emergency response.
“With the full support and funding of several flood damage reduction projects including the Kansas City Levees program, the Kansas City District Army Corps of Engineers is beginning to design and construct projects that will be talked about for decades.” said Melissa Corkill, chief of Civil Works Programs and Project Management Branch. “Our staff, stakeholders, and community are excited to be part of this era.”
Some highlights from the Civil Works branch this fiscal year are listed below:
- Kansas City Levees (Kansas City, Mo. and Kansas City, Kan.) protects more the $22 billion in investment, more than 94,000 jobs and 7000 structures. Congress appropriated $453 million for the district to fully fund the remaining design and construction improvements for this system. This will be the biggest Civil Works project this district has designed and built in decades.
- Manhattan Kansas Flood Damage Reduction (Manhattan, Kan.) project was funded to complete Preliminary Engineering and Design efforts in 2018. This project, located along the Big Blue River will improve gatewell structures, raise the levee, and improve stability and underseepage along the levee.
- Swope Park Industrial Area Flood Damage Reduction (Kansas City, Mo.) project was fully funded to completion in 2018. Once constructed this project will provide flood risk reduction to the Swope Park Industrial Area located along E. 75th Terr. in Kansas City, Mo. The Swope Park Industrial Area is a 50-acre site located along the Blue River, which drains a highly urbanized 272 square-mile area. Construction is expected to take a few years with the next contract to be awarded in 2019 and the final contract awarded a few years later in cooperation with a KCMO access bridge.
- St. Joseph Levees System L455 and R471-460 Project (St. Joseph, Mo.); the overall levee system project was fully federally funded in FY 17. During 2018, construction on Brown’s Branch gatewell structure was significantly advanced and a $1.6 million levee improvements contract was awarded for the left bank (Missouri side) of the Missouri River along the L455 levee unit. The Corps of Engineers will award two more construction contracts on the right bank of the Missouri River in 2019.
- Emergency Management; construction contracts were awarded in FY 18 totaling over $2.6 million to repair and restore levees damaged by floods from 2015, 2016 and 2017. In addition, more than 100 Kansas City District personnel deployed to Puerto Rico in support of Hurricane Maria, Texas for Hurricane Harvey, North and South Carolina for Hurricane Florence and California for wildfire recovery.
- Lake Project Improvements; In addition to routine maintenance, several major improvement contracts were awarded in FY 18 at Corps of Engineers Lake projects in Kansas and Missouri. Kanopolis, Harry S. Truman, Long Branch, Stockton, and Pomme de Terre will all have construction projects over the next year including stilling basin improvements, computer upgrades, power plant improvements, and gatewell modifications.
- Civil Works total dollars committed: 714 contracts for over $61 million
The Military Branch mission is to provide premier engineering, construction, real estate, and environmental management products and services for the installations and other U.S. Government agencies within Kansas and Missouri. Outside of our traditional area of responsibility, the district continues to provide support to other Military mission Corps districts and for the U.S. Northern Command initiatives in Mexico.
“We have an amazing team that provides a variety of Military program support. That support not only serves our traditional area of responsibility in Kansas and Missouri, but reaches to Japan, Korea, Afghanistan and Mexico. Our job is to support the warfighter, and we accomplish this through studies, designs and construction of facilities. Our efforts ultimately support the U.S. government’s ability to maintain their security objective,” said Bryan Smith, chief of the Military Branch.
Some highlights from the Military programs this fiscal year are listed below:
- Initiated mega construction acquisitions – Next National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency West headquarters – known as N2W – and the Fort Leonard Wood Hospital
- Initiated two new mega programs: Lake City Army Ammunition Plant in Independence, Mo. and Department of Veteran Affairs - John Cochran Division, Hospital Renovation and Build project in St. Louis
- Awarded a combat arms facility at McConnell Air Force Base near Wichita, Kan.
- Awarded a large geothermal project for the Kansas Air National Guard
- Awarded a Historic Renovation for Building 409 at Fort Riley, Kan.
- Awarded Building 320 Renovation at Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
- Gained efficiency in small project execution, awarding 22 small projects at Fort Leonard Wood and awarding 23 job orders at Fort Leavenworth
- Military Branch total dollars committed: 345 contracts for over $137 million
The Environmental Program focuses on protecting human health and the environment in a timely and cost-effective manner. The Kansas City District investigates, designs, and executes a full range of cleanup and protection activities from coast to coast.
“The Kansas City District oversees projects in the Heartland and also provides support to environmental remediation projects in New York/New Jersey and in the Pacific Northwest. With this large portfolio of work, communication with stakeholders, other federal agencies and communities is critical,” said Jill Fraley, chief of the Environmental Programs Branch. “Our staff members greatly value the input of all of our stakeholders in addressing environmental concerns and in selecting the appropriate clean-up strategies for the project sites.”
A few highlights from fiscal year 2018 are listed below:
- Over $42 million was awarded in support of the Environmental Protection Agency Region 2 to address environmental remediation of Superfund projects in both New Jersey and New York State.
- Continued soil cleanup work at the Former Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant in northwest Johnson County, Kan., for the Department of the Army.
- Provided contractor oversight and technical recommendations to the Army on addressing emerging contaminant issues associated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – known as PFAS – in groundwater.
- Environmental Programs total dollars committed: 277 contracts for over $129 million.
The team provides services and expertise to our district which covers parts of Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska and Colorado in the Missouri River watershed as well as environmental work in New York and New Jersey.
The Kansas City District is a team of dedicated professionals with a strong heritage and proven results who, in collaboration with our partners, proudly serve in the Heartland providing leadership, technical excellence, and innovative solutions to the nation's most complex problems.
| Date Taken: | 10.05.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 10.05.2018 14:26 |
| Story ID: | 295573 |
| Location: | KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, US |
| Web Views: | 217 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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