H.B. Construction Wins $14 Million Contract To Raise Missouri River Levees

The Kansas City Engineer District announced October 17 that it has awarded a $14,178,505 contract to H.B. Construction Inc., Platte City, Mo., to raise levees along the Missouri River.

This is the largest contract awarded on the R471-460 and L455 levee unit and is the fifth out of six contracts on the overall project.

The work will provide increased flood risk reduction for St. Joseph, Mo.; Elwood and Wathena, Kan., and Rosecrans Memorial Airport, home to the Missouri Air National Guard’s 139th Airlift Wing.

The work is planned to be completed by summer 2024.

Construction is wrapping up on the R471-460 Levee Raise south of U.S. 36 and is planned to be completed in spring 2023. This work is being performed by M Con LLC of Wathena, Kan.

The sixth and final construction contract will be for construction of flood swing gates crossing Union Pacific and Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroads at the St. Joseph industrial area. Construction on this contract is anticipated to start in 2023.

The overall project is 65 percent federally funded. The remaining funds come from a variety of local sources, including the state of Missouri, Buchanan County, the city of St. Joseph and the levee districts. Buchannan County taxpayers overwhelmingly passed a quarter-cent sales tax that provided a majority of the cost share funding.