The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Mobile District has successfully wrapped up the Ship Island Restoration Project – Phase 2.
Completed on November 21, 2019, the approximately $130 million Ship Island Phase 2 is part of an ongoing five-phase effort to not only restore and protect the valuable habitats of the island but enhance the resiliency of the Mississippi Sound and the nearby Mississippi coastline, USACE said in their release.
During Phase 1 of the project, the Mobile District filled a 3½-mile wide breach splitting the island caused by Hurricane Camille in 1969, which had nearly healed itself naturally over time before Hurricane Katrina reopened the breach in 2005.
In addition to closing the breach, Phase 1 of the project also reinforced the island by raising to an elevation of approximately five feet above sea level.
With the completion of Phase 2, the impacted site has been raised an additional two feet and widened an additional 500 feet to further strengthen it in the face of future storm activity.
“Completion of Phase 2 under budget is a huge accomplishment that enables the USACE and Mississippi to address additional requirements in the region,” said Col. Sebastien P. Joly, USACE Mobile District commander.
“This is one of the biggest Civil Works projects in the Corps and one of the largest restoration project in the history of the National Park Service,” Justin McDonald, Mississippi Coastal Program Manager , said. “So, it is a big deal for us, a big deal for the Park Service and a big deal for the state of Mississippi.”
Having closed Phase 2, the Ship Island project is now 80% complete.