one of the architects behind the New Orleans plan. The New Orleans route was an extension of previous plans for the Industrial Canal (IHNC), which included an eventual ship outlet into Lake Borne and the Mississippi sound. Jefferson's proposed route, referred to as the "Arrow to the Americas", was west of the Mississippi River and essentially an evolution of Capt. James Cowdon's plans from 1874 as outlined in the New Orleans Ship Canal Prospectus issued 10 years prior. The Jefferson Seaway was envisioned as a channel measuring either 500 feet or 600 feet in width, 40 feet in depth and 55 miles in length, compared to the 110-mile distance presented by the Mississippi River as measured from the entrance at the jetties. This route was shorter than the Alexander Seaway project, which measured 76 miles in length. A new four-lane toll highway was associated with the Jefferson Seaway project, which would parallel the full length of the new ship channel between Westwego and Grand Isle. In order to connect to the Mississippi River, the Jefferson Seaway project required the construction of new navigable locks at Westwego. Locks at this location had previously been constructed ca. 1870 by the Texas and Pacific Railroad as part of the Company Canal, which connected Bayou Segnette to the Mississippi River. These locks were condemned and ultimately closed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1956, coinciding with the opening of the newly completed Algiers canal and locks. Shipping and commerce in the Gulf of Mexico is influenced by the capacity of the nearby Panama Canal, which provides access to the Pacific Ocean. The original Panama Canal Locks, completed in 1914, were 110 feet wide and 1,050 feet long with 41.2 ft of draft above the sill. The locks proposed for the Jefferson Seaway project would have been 80 feet in width by 800 feet in length with 40 feet of draft over the sill. Though smaller, Jefferson's locks would have allowed for comparable ship drafts. The Jefferson Seaway proposal claimed several advantages over the competing project, including a significantly shorter route, direct access to the oil and gas of the Texaco Company Lafitte Field, access to the Freeport Sulphur Grand Ecaille mines, being closer to Central and South America, and less expensive land appropriation costs. Project selection In considering the most viable option between the Jefferson Seaway and the Alexander Seaway, the USACE