April 2022

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 persons. Rapid upstream runoff, inadequate channel capacity, constriction at bridges, and elimination of the flood plain by urbanization cause severe flooding to 7,500 residents, and 700 commercial and public structures valued at over $3 billion. This includes the most 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 protects against the 100 year flood by the construction in the Puerto Nuevo River and its tributaries of 1.7 miles of earth lined channel, 9.5 miles of concrete lined channels 5.1 of which are high velocity, and two debris basins. The plan will also require the construction of five new bridges, the replacement of 17 bridges, and the modification of eight existing bridges.

2. FUNDING

a. Regular Civil Works Funds:

b. P.L. 115-123: Bi-Partisan Budget Act of 2018, Supplemental:

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 Nov 2013. Current CCD is 26 Feb 2016. Substantially complete on 24 Dec 2015 and project transferred to sponsor.