The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) personnel recently joined other state and local officials in breaking ground on the Bayou Chevreuil bridge replacement project.
The $11.6 million effort would replace the current bridge over Bayou Chevreuil with a wider and longer structure built along the same horizontal alignment as the current structure, facilitating traffic while construction is ongoing, as crews build a temporary detour bridge along the east side of LA 20.
“For our southern region, this project is critical and will support the needs of commuters and the industry that uses this corridor for the transportation of goods and materials,” DOTD Secretary Shawn D. Wilson said. “This bridge is used as a major freight corridor, serving as the connector between Bayou Lafourche and the Mississippi River, as well as a majority of Louisiana’s cane industry. This project also serves as the precursor to the upcoming safety improvements along LA 20.”
Once the work is completed in Spring 2022, the bridge will be 40-foot-wide and 835 feet long. Approximately three and a half feet higher from the midpoint and six and a half feet higher at both ends than the existing bridge.
“The safety of the residents of St. James is a top priority and replacing this bridge is among those projects of great importance,” St. James President Pete Dufresne said. “I would like to personally thank the task force who has advocated for this project over the last five years.”
More than 9,000 motorists travel the bridge daily. By 2039, it is projected to increase to over 13,000 vehicles.