Outlook: Transportation

Highway industry to see unprecedented year

By Karla Wall

The Louisiana Dept. of Transportation's fiscal year 2005-2006 budget, approximately $1.3 billion, was planned before the federal transportation bill was signed and before hurricanes Katrina and Rita came ashore along the Gulf Coast.

DOTD public information officer Mark Lambert said those three events will mean a significant increase in activity in highway and infrastructure projects in what was already a record year.

"There will be competition for materials and workers, but any contractor in Louisiana who wants to get in the game will have a very busy year," Lambert said. "There's lots of activity going on."

The new transportation bill, signed in August, went a long way toward funding the long-awaited extension of I-49 from Shreveport to the Arkansas border, roughly 36 mi., and from Lafayette south to New Orleans.

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The bill earmarks $200 million for the northern segment of the project, with the state matching at $40 million. The total cost of the project is estimated at $363 million.

The Lafayette to New Orleans segment, estimated at $865 million, is funded at $51 million through the bill, with the state matching $10.2 million.

"We didn't get quite enough earmarked to finish the entire project, but we can get a good chunk of it done," Lambert said.

The bill also provides $28 million for widening La. Hwy. 28 from Fort Polk in Leesville to Alexandria, $3.1 million for La. Hwy. 6 construction to connect I-49 to Toledo Bend, and $5.4 million for a new I-49 exit at Natchitoches at the Waterwell Gateway Corridor/La. 6.

DOTD will avoid diverting funds for planned construction to reconstruction due to hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

"The obvious exception is that we will not complete planned repaving projects on damaged highways that will need to be reconstructed," Lambert said.

DOTD has requested $165 million from the federal government for immediate repair needs and $650 million for widening of the heavily-congested sections of I-10 and I-12 in Baton Rouge, which is now the staging area for the New Orleans recovery area.

"We've also requested funding for I-10 widening in Lafayette," Lambert added. These sections will be widened from four lanes to six.

Lambert said the state's largest upcoming project - a $200 million, three-phase project to construct an 18-mi. bridge to replace the section of La. 1 from Golden Meadow to Port Fourchon - will be let early this year.

Following are some of the larger highway projects currently under construction in the state.

U.S. Hwy. 165, Grayson-Columbia. Denton-James of Baton Rouge is overseeing this project to reconstruct four miles of U.S. Hwy. 165. The project will widen the highway from four to six lanes.

Existing roadway will be replaced with concrete paving on a crushed stone base.

Denton-James operations manager Don Young said roughly 200,000 sq. yds. of concrete paving was used as well as 200,000 cu. yds. of crushed stone base. Nine miles of 15- to 72-in. storm drain pipe is being supplied by Rinker of Alexandria for the project.

By far the most challenging aspect of the project has been the relocation of utilities, which is being handled by ABMB Consulting Engineers of Baton Rouge.

Project engineer Cindy Hall of ABMB said about 200 utility poles had to be moved 60 ft. for the project to allow for the 145-ft. right of way.

Several underground and line-based utilities also had to be moved, including BellSouth lines, Atlas Energy gas lines, CrossTex-LIG gas lines, Columbia Heights water liens, Village of Grayson water lines and Town of Columbia water and gas lines.

The project, started in September 2004, will be complete in spring 2007.

Barksdale Interchange, Bossier City. Work began in July on a project that will result in a new 2,770-ft. overpass at the Shreveport-Barksdale interchange with the Red River Bridge on Route La. 3032.

The new overpass will be supported by five 72-ft. spans, with four 36-in. steel girders per span, said project manager Chris Hughes.

Roughly 3,526 cu. yds. of concrete were used on the project, according to DOTD spokesperson Darrell Goza. About 24,000 ft. of steel piles support 8,532 ft. of Type 3 girders and 4,940 ft. of steel girders. Anticipated completion is late this year.

I-10, Causeway to 17th St. Canal, New Orleans. Boh Bros. Construction of New Orleans began construction on this $68.8 million project to widen two overpasses in December, according to project manager Cameron Johnson. The eastbound overpass will be widened from three lanes to four and the westbound lane will be widened from four lanes to five.

The overpasses will be re-paved and a new base will be added using 75,000 tons of stone-stabilized base.

Roughly 134,000 cu. yds. of material was removed to make way for new construction, said Boh Bros. operations manager Jason Guy, and 143,000 cu. yds. of sand-based embankment was brought in.

New piles, with footing and caps, will be erected for the 1-10 Causeway ramps, which will be constructed at a later date. The project is scheduled for completion in 2009.

I-10, Coone Gully to La. 27. This $42.4 million project, begun in June, will result in the widening of 10 mi. of Interstate 10 from Sulphur to Vinton. A lane and inside shoulder are being added in either direction, said project manager Mark Dinnat of Diamond B Construction in Alexandria, primary contractor for the project.

Roughly 450,000 cu. yds. of dirt from a borrow pit in Vinton was brought in for the project, Dinnat said.

A soil/cement subgrade was added using 11,000 tons of cement from Southwest Louisiana Cement in Moss Bluff.

About 75,000-80,000 tons of stone base was supplied from Port Aggregates in Westlake and 360,000 tons of Superpave asphalt manufactured on-site was used.

Besides a two-month delay due to hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the major challenge of the project has been traffic diversion.

Dinnat said daytime and nighttime lane closures have been implemented and concrete barriers will be utilized. Two lanes will be left open in each direction. Completion is expected in fall 2006.

Rigolets Pass Bridge, New Orleans. Work is 20 percent complete on this $50.6 million project by Massman Construction of Kansas City to replace a 3,200-ft. swing-span bridge northeast of downtown New Orleans with a 72-ft.-high 5,400-ft. high-rise bridge.

The new bridge will be supported by 172 driven 66-in. precast piles formed with 7,500-psi concrete and supplied by Gulf Coast Pre-Stress in Pass Christian. Driving is 75-percent complete, says Hayes. The bridge will have a concrete surface, with ready-mix supplied by Harlow of New Orleans. Expected completion is April '08.