Cape Girardeau Celebrates Floodwall Completion

The St. Louis Engineer District and the city of Cape Girardeau, Mo., celebrated the completion of nearly $20 million and 15 years of river wall improvement projects in downtown Cape Girardeau with a small riverfront event April 14. The series of reconstruction projects entailed rock berm stabilization to the existing retaining wall, floodwall joint repairs, toe-drain replacement, soil stabilization and closure gate seal replacement, two new pump stations and miscellaneous structural and culvert work. The work ensures that generations of residents and businesses in the regional hub can enjoy riverfront life safe from increasingly frequent flooding. 

The massive effort was necessary to enhance the reliability of the original project since the wall was originally completed in 1964. A time-lapse video of a significant part of the work (toe-drain replacement designed to control water seepage) can be viewed here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=8soeRqPTTjg.

In 2008, the ownership, operation and maintenance of the flood wall and levee system were transferred to Cape Girardeau. Prior to 2008, the North Main Street and Main Street levee improvement districts operated the system. Productive partnerships among the former levee districts, the city, the Corps, local property owners and businesses and the railroad have provided for the continuing success of the Cape Girardeau Flood Protection System.