The contractor for the $453-million steel-superstructure portion of the widening of the Huey P. Long Bridge in New Orleans is working out the last details of an erection sequence that is faster, safer and interferes less with motor and marine traffic than the stick-build sequence the owner originally proposed.
MTI, a joint venture of Massman Construction Co., Kansas City; Traylor Bros. Inc., Evansville, Ind.; and IHI Inc., New York City, with consulting engineer HNTB Corp, Kansas City, have devised a plan to barge-position, lift and connect pre-assembled trusses on three of the Mississippi River bridge’s four spans. The finished bridge will be “triple-barrel,” with four parallel trusses separating two roadways and a center rail line. “Single- barrel trusses have been hoisted like this before, but I don’t believe anyone has ever hoisted triple-barrel,” says Steve Underwood, MTI project manager.