May 2023
FACT SHEET
Río Puerto Nuevo, PR
Construction (C)
Congressional District: Puerto Rico
1. DESCRIPTION
This project was authorized for construction by Section 202 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1986 (PL 99-662). The Río Puerto Nuevo Basin drains 24 square miles, 75 percent of which is highly developed with a population of 250,000. Rapid upstream runoff, inadequate channel capacity, constriction at bridges, and elimination of the flood plain by urbanization causes severe flooding to 7,000 residents, and 800 commercial and public structures valued at over $3 billion. This includes the important transportation facilities in the city, as well as major public works complexes and strategic water, sewer, electrical power, and telephone services. The plan of improvement will reduce the risk of flooding against a 100-yr event by the construction in the Puerto Nuevo River and its tributaries of 6.2 miles of channel and two stilling basins. The plan will also require the construction, replacement, or modification of 23 bridges, upland material management sites, sewer line modifications and replacements, recreational facilities, and efforts to mitigate the loss of environmental habitats.
2. FUNDING
| Estimated Total Cost |
$3,186,900,000 |
| Estimated Federal Cost |
$3,103,600,000 |
a. Regular Civil Works Funds:
| Allocation thru FY22 |
$342,954,000 |
| Allocation for FY23 |
$0 |
| President's Budget FY24 |
$0 |
P.L. 115-123: Bi-Partisan Budget Act of 2018, Supplemental:
| Construction |
| Current Working Estimate |
$1,585,000,000 |
| Allocation thru FY22 |
$112,753,000 |
| Allocation for FY23 |
$50,964,000 |
| FCCE |
| Current Working Estimate |
$10,900,000 |
| Allocation thru FY22 |
$10,900,000 |
| Allocation for FY23 |
$0 |
3. SPONSOR
Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources
P.O. Box 366147
San Juan, Puerto Rico 00936
4. STATUS
Contract 1: $46.0 million covers construction of the first 1.3 miles of channel beginning in San Juan Harbor and ending about ½ mile downstream of the De Diego Expressway Bridge over Río Piedras. Contract is complete.
Contract 1A: $3.7 million includes seismic retrofit for the Kennedy Avenue Bridge. Contract was awarded to PRE-CON Marine, Inc., in April 2002 and was completed in September 2004. Contract was modified to include installation of a 36-inch waterline as betterment at a cost of $6.8 million (100% Non-Federal Cost). This added work was completed in December 2005.
Contract 2A: $27 million was terminated for convenience to the government. Remainder work, to include confluence wall and excavation will be included in ARRA Contract 2AR which was awarded in June 2010 to Dragados USA at a cost of $55M. Construction was initiated in November 2010 and was completed in May 2014 Contract included channel excavation along the Margarita Channel a confluence wall and dredging of the lower Puerto Nuevo Channel.
Contract 2AA: $84 million was awarded to Dick Corporation in November 2002 and it was completed December of 2010. Contractor completed the secant pile wall box culvert, Option B, which is the last 300 feet of the culvert near the port facilities bulkhead, and the open channel work north of Kennedy Avenue, which is the upper limit of this contract. Modification of the 90” sewer line segment was completed under a separate contract which was awarded in August of 2011 to Dragados USA at a cost of $38 million. The contract was completed in December 2015. Full flood damage prevention benefits of the Bechara Sector are being realized with this segment.
Contract 2D1: $22 million was awarded to Río Construction in April 2003 and they proceeded to complete the east abutment wall. The contract was terminated by default after difficulties and lack of progress of work by Rio Construction. The Corps of Engineers proceeded with negotiations with Surety Company and was able to award a new contract to Carro & Carro Construction in September 2007. Notice to Proceed was issued on 26 November 2007. Contractor completed all work on this contract in July 2014 which included both abutments of the bridge and drill shaft reinforcement for the east and west piers.
Bechara Middle Section: Original CCD was 15 November 2013. Current CCD is 26 February 2016. Substantially complete on 24 December 2015 and project transferred to sponsor.
Contracts 2C: Upper Margarita Channel: This contract covers the area upstream of the ARRA Margarita Channel to the downstream crossing of the De Diego expressway bridge. The contract was subdivided in 3 phases: downstream stilling basin (2C1), sanitary line relocation (2C2), and super critical flow u-frame channel (2C3). Contract 2C1 was awarded in August 2014 to Las Piedras Construction in the amount of $18.6 million. Construction has been completed and Final inspection with DNER held on 17 July 2020.
2D Channel Walls: The 2D Wall Contract consists of construction of 700-feet-long right and 350-feet-long left channel walls on Rio Puerto Nuevo in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Construction contract was awarded in FY17 and construction was completed on April 2022.
FCCE Maintenance Dredging: Cashman Dredging and Marine Contracting, Co., LLC: Construction completed 28 May 2020. A total of 265,614.49 CY of material was removed.
SUPPLEMENTAL: The remaining project segments were funded under the Bipartisan Budget Act (BBA) of 2018 (P.L 115-123). A/E contracts for P&S for future supplemental contracts are under way. The following contracts will be executed using BBA 2018 funds:
Supplemental Contract La Chuleta: Construction contract was awarded on Jun 2022. Contract consists of Clearing & Grading, Access Road and construction of barge offloading Wharf for La Chuleta Disposal Site. 85% of the site has been cleared and grubbed, vegetative material disposal is in progress.
Supplemental Contract 1: Contract consists of Upper Margarita Channel and Sewer Line Relocation. Plans & Specifications (P&S) are under development with AE Design Contractor Stanley Consultants and are 95% completed. - Scheduled for 1st Quarter of FY26 Award.
Supplemental Contract 2: Contract consists of Roosevelt Bridge Replacement. P&S with AE Design Contractor Arcadis completed. Proceeding with BCOES certification and advertisement – Scheduled for 4th Quarter of FY23 Award.
Supplemental Contract 3: Contract consists of Main Channel Walls, Channel Bottoms and Stilling Basin, Station 88+33 to Station 147+40. P&S are under development with AE Design Contractor Arcadis and are 95% completed. – Scheduled for 3rd Quarter of FY24 Award.
Supplemental Contract 4: Contract consists of Bridge Replacement of 4 Major existing bridges - Las Americas Expressway Bridge, Pinero Avenue Bridge East, NE Access Ramp Bridge, SE Access Ramp Bridge). P&S are under development with AE Design Contractor CDM Smith and are at 60% design. – Scheduled for 3rd Quarter of FY26 Award.
Supplemental Contract 5A: Contract consists of Bridge Replacement of Notre Dame Bridge. P&S are under development with Philadelphia District (NAP) and are 95% completed. Scheduled for 2nd Quarter of FY25 Award.
Supplemental Contract 5B: Contract consists of Bridge Replacement of Pinero Avenue West and Downstream segment of Josefina Channel. P&S are under development with AE Design Contractor CDM Smith and are at 60% design. – Scheduled for 4th Quarter of FY26 Award.
Supplemental Contract 6: Contract consists of Middle Main Channel Station 147+40 to PR HW 1 Bridge, Buena Vista Bridges (2 new bridges and 2 replacements), Buena Vista Channel. P&S is currently under development with Huntington District (LRH) and are at 30%. Scheduled for 3rd Quarter of FY27 Award.
Supplemental Contract 7: Contract consists of Josefina Channel and Doña Ana Channel improvements and the replacement of 10 bridges. P&S are under development with multiple districts of Mississippi Valley Division (MVD) – Scheduled for 3rd Quarter of FY27 Award.
Supplemental Contract Bechara: Contract consists of clearing and grading. Site will be used as upland material management area. Scheduled for 2nd Quarter of FY25 Award.
