Biloxi Bridge Gets Leg Up On 2007 Hurricane Season
Seventy–seven days shy of a deadline to open two lanes to traffic on a replacement bridge for Mississippi's US 90 over Biloxi Bay, the joint venture contractor on the job is way ahead of schedule. The timing is good, because the job is reaching a phase less vulnerable to delay from hurricanes as the 2007 hurricane season begins to turn mean.
With Hurricane Dean spinning into the Caribbean with 125 mph winds, and intensifying, and tropical storm Erin spreading misery across lower Texas, crews are wrapping up the pours for the column footings now. That means the piles would be protected if a storm roared in, and so would the contractor's big lead on the schedule. It has set all 1,219 piles for both spans of the $342–million bridge and is pouring the final two column footings now. The project manager says the job is on track to set a record.