Louisiana Upgrades Critical Energy Infrastructure Link
The Louisiana Dept. of Transportation and Development has announced that James Construction Group LLC, Baton Rouge, was the low bidder on a $137-million contract to construct a 5.3-mile, 40-ft wide, two-lane elevated stretch of Louisiana Highway 1. The contract is the first phase of an ongoing upgrade of the narrow, two-lane, flood-prone highway that services 18% of the nation’s supply of crude oil and natural gas and handles more than 75% of the current oil and gas production in the entire Gulf of Mexico. The 22-ft elevated trestle bridge will be built to minimize environmental impact. LaDOTD was concerned it would receive only one bidder because of the remote location, tremendous amount of ongoing work in south Louisiana and availability of labor and materials. However, it received two bids and the winning price was just 3% over the agency’s estimate.