IN Brief:
- Barnard Construction has won contracts worth about $1.86 billion for Prado and Whittier Narrows dam works.
- The package combines a $1.13 billion Prado spillway modification and a $735 million Whittier Narrows safety scheme.
- Major construction is expected to start in spring 2027, with both dams remaining operational during delivery.
Barnard Construction is set to deliver a pair of major Southern California dam safety projects after securing contracts worth about $1.86 billion for works at Prado Dam and Whittier Narrows Dam. The programme combines a $1.13 billion spillway modification at Prado with a $735 million safety-improvement contract at Whittier Narrows.
At Prado, the works will replace the existing spillway with a labyrinth-style structure, rebuild slabs and walls, and raise the spillway crest by 20ft to align with the dam’s earlier embankment raise. At Whittier Narrows, the focus is on critical improvements to embankment and outlet structures at one of the most urban dams operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Together, the two projects are intended to reduce flood risk for nearly 2.5 million people and protect roughly $400 billion in downstream property and infrastructure.
The contracts are being delivered through an integrated design-and-construction model that brings the contractor into the job early on constructability and engineering. Major works are expected to begin in spring 2027 and run through 2033, with both dams remaining in operation during construction. For heavy civil contractors, the package is a reminder that dam safety, resilience, and flood-risk infrastructure remain capable of generating multi-billion-dollar programmes when deferred upgrades finally move into delivery.
