DOTD shares 2003 Coastal America Award

Louisiana's Cameron Creole Watershed - March Terracing Project received the 2003 Costal America Partnership Award recently at Cameron Prairie National Wildlife Refuge in Bell City.

Emil Frankel, assistant secretary for transportation policy with the U. S. Dept. of Transportation, presented the award to the mulit-agency community project partners.

Working cooperatively on the project were representatives from 16 local, state and national organizations, including DOTD, the Federal Highway Administration, the Cameron Parish Police Jury, Ducks Unlimited, the staff of the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Services' Cameron Prairie National Wildlife Refuge and the North American Wetlands Conservation Council.

After improvements were made to LA 27, the Cameron Creole Watershed - Marsh Terracing Project was conceived. Compensation for the wetlands impacts triggered a much larger marsh restoration project than originally conceived.

The duck wing marsh terracing will also reduce coastal wetlands loss from erosion and provide nesting sites for wildlife, such as the mottled duck and American alligator.

Louisiana DOTD opens large bids for TIMED segments

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) received bids on two TIMED (Transportation Infrastructure Model for Economic Development) segments in October.

With a bid received of $6.28 million, James Construction Group Inc. of Baton Rouge was the apparent low bidder on an embankment project between North Hodge and Quitman on U.S. 167.

Construction is scheduled to start on the project in the next several months.

Highway Specialists Inc. was the apparent low bidder, with a bid of $14.7 million, on the State Route in Bernice widening project on U.S. 167. Construction on this segment is also scheduled to begin in the next several months.

"The accelerated schedule of the TIMED Program has DOTD opening bids for construction every month over the next few years to ensure all construction is underway by 2008," said Buddy Porta, DOTD TIMED Program spokesperson.

TIMED is the single largest transportation program in Louisiana history. The $3.5 billion improvement program includes widening 500 miles of state highways to four lanes on 11 project corridors, widening and/or new construction on three major bridges and improvements to both the Port of New Orleans and Louis Armstrong International Airport.

The program is designed to enhance economic development in Louisiana through an investment in transportation projects.