James Construction Group completed the LA 1 Improvements, Phase 1A Bridge Construction project that involved building a 40-ft-wide, two-lane bridge stretching 5.5 miles over Bayou Lafourche, replacing the formerly flood-prone section of the LA 1 corridor between Fourchon and Leeville.

As part of the $139-million project, the team built 24 temporary 65-ft-long trestle spans that were used to build the permanent bridge structure. The LA 1 Phase 1A project was completed without any lost-time incidents.

"The project's infrastructure was built 22 feet above environmentally sensitive wetlands. The protection of this fragile ecosystem required that we use the end-on construction technique," says Danny Hester, president, James Construction Group. "To do this, we utilized a 50-plus-ton and a 30-plus-ton gantry crane that ran alongside the elevated section, operating leap-frog style to transport predelivered, precast concrete bridge sections and girders.

"Our company enlisted the engineering firm Huval & Associates to design and detail the gantry trestle superstructure, which had two beams and rails to support the large crane on the exterior beam and the smaller crane on the interior beam. The gantry trestle was utilized the entire length of the 435-span bridge project, being moved forward as each of the spans was completed," he says.

LA 1 Improvements, Phase 1A Bridge ConstructionFourchon/Leeville, La.

Key Players

Owner: Louisiana Dept. of Transportation and Development, Houma, La.

General Contractor: James Construction Group, New Orleans

Lead Design: CDM Smith, Columbia, S.C.

Civil: Louisiana Dept. of Transportation and Development

Submitted by James Construction Group