Each time I speak to someone or a civic group about the Audubon Bridge project, I mention the project is one not only of local and statewide significance, but one that is recognized globally.
It’s important to note that major bridge construction often involves individuals, firms and materials from several countries, continents and corners of the world. In such specialized fields of practice, there are often only a handful of firms in the entire world capable to handle many of the engineering tasks necessary in cable-stayed bridge construction.
Through several meetings with the designers, I knew many aspects of the Audubon Bridge required worldwide expertise.
I sat down today with Dante Lius, the Resident Engineer who will oversee the construction of the cable-stayed bridge, to get the details.
It’s worth mentioning Dante came to the Audubon Bridge project from the Arthur Ravenel Bridge over Cooper River in Charleston, South Carolina. The Audubon Bridge will surpass the Ravenel Bridge—now the longest cable-stayed bridge in North America—when complete in 2010.
After consulting with Dante, I learned:
· The cement for the cable-stayed bridge is coming from Thailand
· The structural steel for the main span of the bridge is coming from Japan
· The strands for the bridge’s cables will be manufactured in Spain
· The wind tunnel tests are conducted in Canada
· The bridge’s expansion joints will be likely be made in Germany
While many of the very specialized components of the bridge’s construction will come from all over world to ensure the finest quality bridge is built for Louisiana, I cannot stress enough that this project mandates 80 percent of construction workers must be Louisiana residents.
The parts and elements can come from anywhere, however, the bridge must be assembled in Louisiana by workers on the ground.
Contact me today to find out more about job opportunities on the project.
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