A $101 million project will restore a critical stretch of marshland protecting New Orleans from storm surges. The work is scheduled to begin next summer and finish in mid-2029.
The New Orleans Land Bridge separates Lake Pontchartrain from the Gulf of Mexico across roughly 20 miles. It shields about 1.5 million residents from flooding but is eroding quickly, with Louisiana losing one football field of land every 100 minutes.
A state and federal panel announced plans earlier this month to rebuild 1,320 acres along the Rigolets channel. Crews will dredge 5 million cubic yards of sediment and stabilize the area with limestone-filled fabric mattresses before planting native grasses.
The effort will draw from BP oil spill settlement funds and follows a smaller 275-acre restoration completed in 2025. Officials say the full land bridge, spanning 57,000 acres, still requires far more investment under the state's coastal master plan.