Involving the community and keeping residents (particularly the locals) engaged in this massive project has always been a top priority for me. It’s important you know what’s happening and when. Many of you see activity all around you…equipment moving, progress on the construction site and new faces in town.
Engaging the youth of the area is critical as well.
The recently completed “Junior Engineer Design Contest” was a huge success! The initiative, targeting children ages 5-11, asked participants to draw and color the Audubon Bridge the way they see it. The guidelines, left open-ended, encouraged creativity and imagination.
While called a contest, all participants were winners and everyone received a prize packet filled with project trinkets and a letter of appreciation for his or her efforts. To be honest, I anticipated receiving 30 or 40 entries…never the 150+ actually received!
Children from several communities in Pointe Coupee and West Feliciana mailed in entries and many teachers from local elementary schools worked closely with their students to complete the activity. I never imagined the overwhelming participation, but am pleased so many people are taking interest in the project.
Designs submitted ranged from the cable-stayed design of the Audubon Bridge to the suspension design of the Golden Gate Bridge and the truss construction of bridges such as the Mississippi River Bridge at Baton Rouge and the Huey P. Long Bridge near New Orleans.
Details from a few submissions included ornate iron work, hanging pot plants, mounted flags and a paddlewheel boat decorated in LSU purple and gold floating beneath the bridge!
Look for the best entries in future project promotions!