HUEY P. LONG BRIDGE WIDENING — APPROACHES

New Orleans, Louisiana

The LADOTD TIMED program selected a Massman Construction Co. joint venture to construct the $434 million project to replace the east and west approach structures and construct three traffic lanes on both sides of the existing Huey P. Long Bridge, also known as route 90, over the Mississippi River. Construction of foundations and bridge piers near the Mississippi River levees requires a highly coordinated effort with USACE and local area levee districts.

This project will add an additional lane in each direction along with 8-ft. emergency shoulders. The main bridge structure for vehicular traffic includes the 4,700-ft.-long east approach, the 2,400-ft. long main span river crossing, the 5,600-ft. long west approach, as well as associated ramp work at both ends. The approach structures consists of 200 pile-supported concrete piers with precast girders and cast-in-place deck, with the high rise portion supported by a four-span widened structural steel truss about 150-ft. above the river.

Temporary retaining structures for construction of the pier foundations were designed to assure no movement or soil sloughing from around the existing bridge piers. Most of the pier footings were built inside TRS below the water level and required extensive dewatering. Access was extremely tight as work was to be performed in a narrow row between an existing bridge and a residential neighborhood. The work area overlaps with the river span’s superstructure widening contract and includes completing the roadway deck over river truss spans.