The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) announced today that 16 projects around the state were let on September 22, 2021.
15 contractors presented apparent low bids totaling $101.5 million.
DOTD says that construction will begin on the second segment of LA 3241 in St. Tammany Parish. The $62.6 million project, which will construct a new highway between LA 435 and LA 36, is partially funded by a federal Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) loan against BP settlement funds. The first segment of LA 3241, which will connect LA 40/LA 41 in Bush to LA 435, was let on July 21. A third segment, which is fully funded and will be let in 2023, will complete the new highway, a release states.
“As debris cleanup continues from Hurricane Ida, we’re pleased to announce 16 more projects that will be starting shortly,” said DOTD Secretary Shawn D. Wilson, Ph.D. “We’re extremely excited to start the second segment of the LA 3241 project, a project that has been a long time coming. Once all segments are complete, motorists will have much easier access between I-12 and Bush. Not only will this new highway create an additional hurricane evacuation route, but it will also create economic development along its path. As I mentioned in July, this LA 3241 project is a perfect example of how we can deliver major infrastructure projects that will benefit our citizens as long as we put politics aside and work together.”
DOTD says that LA 3241 was originally part of the Louisiana Transportation Infrastructure Model for Economic Development (TIMED) Program, which consisted of 16 projects statewide and began in 1989 when voters approved a 4-cent increase to the gas tax in order to fund Act 16 of the 1989 legislature. The TIMED Program was later accelerated through the sale of bonds.
Two of the major projects of the TIMED Program include the John James Audubon Bridge in Pointe Coupee and West Feliciana parishes and the wider, safer Huey P. Long Bridge near New Orleans. The LA 3241 project is the 15th TIMED project to move forward.
All projects let on September 22 and their apparent low bids are as follows (Projects in Acadiana have been highlighted):
New Route:
- Construction of LA 3241 between LA 36 and LA 435 in St. Tammany Parish: $62,565,356.72
Bridge Replacement and Repair:
- Replacement of U.S. 90 bayou bridge in Jefferson Davis Parish: $2,452,295.23
- Replacement of North 16th Bridge in Rapides Parish: $2,022,204.00
- Repair of Grand Lake Swing Bridge on LA 384 in Cameron Parish: $429,800.00
- Westbank Expressway rehabilitation on U.S. 90Z in Jefferson Parish: $3,403,382.00
Pavement/ Overlay:
- Grading, milling, patching, and overlay on LA 173 between LA 1 and U.S. 71 in Caddo Parish: $2,443,842.33
- Grading, milling, patching, overlay, and paving on Martin Luther King Boulevard between S. Claiborne and St. Charles in Orleans Parish: $6,494,258.50
- Grading, milling, patching, overlay, and drainage on LA 182 between LA 3069 and LA 317 in St. Mary Parish: $3,073,198.14
- Milling, patching, and overlay on U.S. 425 between Gilbert and Winnsboro in Franklin Parish: $3,850,399.40
- Milling, patching, overlay, and drainage on LA 1-Y, LA 413, and LA 415 in Pointe Coupee Parish: $2,770,085.69
- Milling, patching, and asphalt surface treatment on LA 8, LA 115, and LA 126 in Avoyelles, Grant, and Natchitoches parishes: $1,861,453.43
- Milling, patching, overlay, and signalization on U.S. 71 between Barksdale AFB and I-20 in Bossier Parish: $1,955,303.35
- Milling, patching, overlay, and drainage on LA 1268 between U.S. 165/LA 2 and U.S. 165/U.S. 425 in Morehouse Parish: $5,084,877.45
- Milling, patching, overlay, and drainage on LA 124 between Winn Parish line and LA 125 in LaSalle Parish: $1,652,096.14
Congestion Mitigation and Safety:
- Left turn lane construction on LA 30 at LA 3115 in Iberville Parish: $838,903.09
Other:
- Sidewalks along Bootlegger Road in St. Tammany Parish: $618,702.20
Construction projects are prioritized by road/bridge condition, urgency of improvements, type/volume of traffic, crash records, unforeseeable emergencies that caused damage, and several other factors.
For more information about these projects, please visit www.dotd.la.gov.
------------------------------------------------------------
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.
To reach the newsroom or report a typo/correction, click HERE.
Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox. Select from these options: Breaking News, Evening News Headlines, Latest COVID-19 Headlines, Morning News Headlines, Special Offers
