GALVESTON, Texas – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Galveston District, awarded a contract to Babcock Construction Company LLC, a service disabled veteran-owned small business, in the amount of $1,256,900 for the installation of marine fenders at the Berth 5 Extension of the Freeport Hurricane Flood Protection Project in Brazoria County, Texas.

The v-shaped rubber bumpers, which absorb shock from ships parking at the dock, are designed to protect the hurricane flood protection structure at Port Freeport.

“The Freeport Hurricane Flood Protection Project protects people and property in the Freeport area, in addition to the multibillion dollar petrochemical industry located behind the levee,” said John Machol, a project manager with USACE Galveston. “The project consists of 53 miles of protective work made up of 14 miles of existing splash wall protection and wave barriers providing protection to 42 square miles of port and petrochemical facilities.”

According to Machol, the flood protection system is comprised of earthen levees with concrete and steel pile floodwalls and removable panels; a navigation and flood control tide gate structure; water intake structures; numerous gravity drainage structures and two pumping stations.

“The project is 100 percent federally funded under public law 84-99, which authorizes federal projects to be repaired after a category 2 storm [or greater] and causes more than $1 million in damage,” said Machol. “This work is being completed as a result of Hurricane Ike, which caused damage to the Velasco Memorial Tide Gate and the flood wall at Port Freeport.”

Work is scheduled to begin September 2011, and to be completed by December 2011.

The USACE Galveston District has awarded 64 percent of all contracts to small businesses in fiscal year 2011.