DOTD readies for Huey P. Long widening project

The Louisiana Dept. of Transportation and Development (DOTD) recently received the final environmental permit for construction to begin on the Huey P. Long Bridge over the Mississippi River in Jefferson Parish.

"Letting the first contract for the bridge widening project is a significant milestone for the TIMED program, DOTD and the New Orleans area," said DOTD Secretary Johnny Bradberry. "DOTD is proud to announce this letting for a major project in an area that was affected by Hurricane Katrina.

"DOTD is committed to continuing progress on pre-hurricane planned transportation projects while also rebuilding and restoring transportation corridors affected by the hurricanes," Bradberry said. "The Huey P. Long Bridge is vital to the infrastructure of Jefferson Parish and the surrounding New Orleans area and this project remains a priority for Louisiana."

The completed project will include three 11-ft. lanes in each direction, along with new inside and outside shoulders across the bridge. The project also includes the construction of new roadway approaches that will provide signalized intersections at Bridge City Avenue and Jefferson Highway.

The three-phase project is scheduled to be finished by December 2010. The first construction phase, which should begin this month, will include the widening and the strengthening of the substructure. Drivers should not see any significant construction-related delays because the contractor will perform most of the construction from beneath the bridge.

Phase two will let for construction in mid 2006 and will include widening the main span superstructure. Phase three, scheduled to begin in late 2006, includes building the approaches.

James Construction Group receives levee repair contracts

James Construction Group LLC has been awarded three separate contracts by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to perform levee repair work in Orleans Parish. The contracts, which total $34.5 million, all involve construction on the New Orleans East Back Levee.

"Our company is proud to be part of the reconstruction efforts in New Orleans," said JCG Senior Vice President Danny Hester. "JCG believes strongly that restoring this historic port city is vital both for its residents and for the state's economy and cultural heritage."

Work activities on the first project involve strengthening the New Orleans East Back Levee adjacent to the Intracoastal Waterway and restoring it to elevations that existed prior to Hurricane Katrina. Achieving that goal requires that JCG utilize about 1 million cu. yds. of soil that the company is acquiring from a borrow source outside of New Orleans and transporting to the jobsite. The project also entails clearing and grubbing, seeding and fertilizing, and placement of semi-compacted and compacted levee fill.

JCG is also performing modifications to Pump Station No. 15 and the floodgate at the CSX railroad tracks. Activities on these projects include removing existing steel sheet piling, driving steel H piles, placing reinforced concrete T walls and driving new sheet piling to halt the flow of subsurface water.

As part of its commitment to the state's economic development, JCG is using Louisiana suppliers and a local subcontractor for the seeding and fertilizing portion of the work.

JCG provides construction services to both public and private clients nationwide.