Audubon Takes Flight

The Audubon Bridge project, as with all TIMED projects, was strategically chosen to be built in order to stimulate economic growth across Louisiana.  By stimulating economic development this will help to strengthen the communities of New Roads and St. Francisville, as well as other communities in this area. 

From a policy perspective, economic development can be defined as efforts that seek to improve the economic well-being and quality of life for a community by creating and/or retaining jobs and supporting or growing incomes and the tax base.  It typically refers to improvements in a variety of indicators such as literacy rates, life expectancy, and poverty rates.

Construction of the work trestles (a structure consisting of spans supported upon frame bents) at the Mississippi River crossing is at a standstill due to the high water, but work continues on the 12 miles of two-lane roadway approaches and 8 conventional bridges that will connect LA 1 east of Hospital Road at New Roads to US 61 south of LA 966 at St. Francisville. 

Work is being done in the Prefabrication Yard where testing is being performed on the jacking system used for lowering and raising pre-cast formwork panels.  Piles (a shaft-like linear member which carries loads through weak layers of soil to those which are capable of supporting such loads) are currently being driven for many of the conventional bridges.  Grading and drainage work continues on the west side.

Work on the trestles will resume when the water level is safe to do so and is being monitored daily for changes in the water level.  Once these work trestles are complete this will allow crews to continue work on the main bridge structure despite river conditions.

Box culverts on the west side.  On the right side, surcharge soil has been placed on the embankment for compaction.

A Pier of the Main Span is underwater.  The river has flooded the side on the East bank.

The foundation shafts and the access ramp to the trestle are underwater.  The trestle is just above water.

A pier of the Main Span.  Only the top of the shafts are visible.  The access trestle on the left is at elevation +54 ft and is a few feet above water.

View of the west access to the Main Span.  The west storage area is visible at the top of the photo, beyond the levee and LA 981.  The protruding pipe piles are the top of the templates needed for the installation of the shafts.  The top of the steel casing of the shafts is barely visible in the river.

Photos provided by Tommy Comeaux with The Pointe Coupee Banner

Did you know that the John James Audubon Bridge will be the longest cable-stayed bridge in North America?  A cable-stayed bridge is a bridge that consists of one or more columns (normally referred to as towers or pylons), with cables supporting the bridge deck.  The bridge will serve as the only bridge structure on the Mississippi River between Natchez, Mississippi and Baton Rouge, Louisiana (approximately 90 river miles).  The John James Audubon Bridge will also be the first design/build project for the LA DOTD.  This means that a single entity provides all of the services necessary to both design and construct all or fundamentally design/build from other forms of project delivery.  Because the Engineers and General Contractor are on the “same team” in a design/build environment, design/build offers many advantages to the owner including price and schedule control early in the design process.    

John James Audubon is a monumental figure to the people of Pointe Coupee and West Feliciana parishes.  Audubon dedicated his life to painting all of the birds in America.  He painted 32 of his famous works in his “Birds of America” series while residing at Oakley Plantation at St. Francisville as a tutor to Eliza Pirrie in 1821.  As these two parishes are widely known for their abundance of wildlife, amazing landscapes and preserved historic structures from the days of Audubon, it is only fitting that the new bridge be named in his memory.

After all, this is Louisiana’s program.

Look for the best entries in future project promotions!

For contractors, project managers and owners, safety on the job site is often the most important issue.

On the Audubon Bridge project, it has been said time and time again. Safety is the #1 issue…PERIOD.

Over the duration of the project, safety is discussed at most meetings, partnering sessions and is tracked and documented by a safety manager and his staff.

Crews are briefed each week, new employees to the job site must attend a mandatory safety orientation and all workers must adhere to the strictest safety guidelines to maintain access to the job.

Today, the Design-Build team—Audubon Bridge Constructors—has decided to go a step further, shut the entire project down and focus on safety education.

Various booths are setup at the main project office for crews to review the latest safety guidelines, equipment and practices. Safety personnel are expected to address employees and reiterate that safety on the job site is paramount.

Shutdowns for safety education are expected periodically over the duration of the project.

I applaud the Design-Build team’s efforts to ensure their job site is secure and safe for all employees and site visitors.

Nearly eight months have passed since the groundbreaking ceremony and we now enter a new year—2007.

As I’ve mentioned before, 2007 will be an exciting year for the project. In addition to the clearing and preliminary construction that has occurred already, the cable-stayed bridge will begin to take shape.

There will be much to see and it will be exciting!

Beginning this month, a newspaper series entitled “Meet the Bridge Builders” will appear in the area’s local newspapers, the Pointe Coupee Banner and the St. Francisville Democrat.

Through this series, we hope to offer you an opportunity to see who is responsible for building the Audubon Bridge. What are their names? Where are they from? What other projects have they worked on?

Many of the project’s top brass have worked on projects all over the world and are considered among the industry’s best.

If you do not live in Pointe Coupee or West Feliciana parish or receive either of the newspapers, there is no need to worry. The series will be posted to this Web site.

In the meantime, if there is any question you have on the project or something more you want to hear about, feel free to leave me a comment.

Happy New Year!

Although the Audubon Bridge project has just begun, it’s definitely a gift to many citizens and businesses in Pointe Coupee and West Feliciana parishes this holiday season.

As I’ve mentioned several times, this bridge has been long-awaited and talked about for more than 30 years. Now that construction is underway, local residents are anxiously awaiting the project’s completion and ribbon-cutting celebration.

Looking back on 2006, significant progress has been made on both the Audubon Bridge project and the overall TIMED Program. Both survived the hurricanes of 2005, proved their feasibility and now march forward toward completion.

In May, state and local officials—including the Governor—broke ground on the Audubon Bridge project as the Design-Build team, one of the most reputable bridge building teams in the world, descended on New Roads and St. Francisville to begin construction.

Since May, construction crews have progressed in their efforts to get this monumental project—North America’s longest cable-stayed bridge—underway. The roadway alignment is clear from U.S. 61 to the river in West Feliciana Parish. The east bank work trestle is under construction. Fabricating crews continue to prep construction materials. The eight-mile roadway alignment in Pointe is being cleared at this very moment. Utility crews continue to relocate electrical lines, telephone wires and other vital utilities from the project’s path.

The list goes on.

2007 will be an exciting year for the construction schedule and the project will really begin to take shape.

I encourage you to stay tuned to this Web site and to the construction Web cam for the very latest developments.

Now that construction is underway and you are able to see firsthand the bridge is being built, breathe a sigh of relief. It’s really happening!

Happy holidays.