BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — The Comite River Diversion Project is moving forward after many years of planning and delays. On Friday, federal and local leaders signed a new partnership agreement. This agreement shows their commitment to finishing the long-awaited flood mitigation project. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, along with regional and congressional leaders, held a signing ceremony. This event was a key step. It marked the start of construction on the Brooks Lake Guide. This guide is an important part of the diversion channel project. “Ultimately, this is going to be a 12-mile diversion channel — eight of which have already been engineered,” said Colonel Cullen A. Jones of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District. “It will allow us to safely move up to 30,000 cubic feet of water from the Comite River into the Mississippi River.” The project aims to cut urban flooding in East Baton Rouge, Ascension and Livingston parishes. It will protect about 700,000 people living near the Amite River Basin. Recent heavy rain and rising water levels have led to flooding in the area. This shows the urgent need for lasting infrastructure solutions. Congresswoman Julia Letlow (R-La) emphasized the importance of collaboration and consistency. “This is so important to the community,” she said. “When you talk about water and how powerful it can be, we have to make sure everyone is working together as one team, one unit, to achieve our shared goal.” Leaders said that being open and working together during the rest of the construction is crucial. This will help keep the project on track and build public trust. The project will bring flood relief and peace of mind to many Louisiana residents, who have waited years for this progress. The Comite River Diversion Project has been in the works since the early 1990s. The partnership agreement is a big step in keeping the project on track for completion. Latest News New Orleans police report second Bourbon Street bomb scare in two weeks Trump eyes major cuts to NOAA research  Popular soup, bowl products may be contaminated; USDA issues public health alert Comite River Diversion Project advances after years of delays The top 25 cars that hold their value best – and the 25 worst ...read more read less