The Interstate 10 bridge over the Calcasieu River in Lake Charles is one of the bridges in line for replacement or repairs with approximately $1 billion in federal money set aside for Louisiana over the next five years (iStock/Getty Images).
Louisiana will receive approximately $1 billion for bridge repairs from a federal infrastructure plan revealed Friday. The Federal Highway Administration will dedicate $26.5 billion to states over five years for bridgework. The money is part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that Congress approved.
Louisiana will receive $202.6 million this fiscal year. It will be used to improve about 400 bridges throughout the state that need to be repaired or replaced. They include the Interstate 10 bridge over the Calcasieu River in Lake Charles, which is among the 13% of spans in Louisiana that the American Society of Civil Engineers has deemed “structurally deficient.”
“Louisiana will be well served by this program, as our funding needs for infrastructure projects are immense,” Gov. John Bel Edwards said in a statement. “I applaud the Biden administration for seeing the transportation needs of our nation, and state, by launching this investment program that will greatly aid our communities. Bridge closures or weight restrictions severely hinder our agriculture, manufacturing and service industries, as well a public transit, commuter travel and school bus routes. Limiting closures will provide a better overall quality of life to our residents, motorists and businesses.”
According to the governor’s office,Louisiana has the third largest bridge infrastructure in the nation in terms of its number of bridges and their size. Out of 7,846 state-owned bridges, 795 need major rehabilitation or replacement. Another 793 locally owned bridges, out 4,736 total, also need to repaired or rebuild.
“This new federal investment comes at the right time as many of our bridges, including those on the interstate system, are 45 to 65 years old,” state transportation Secretary Shawn Wilson said in a statement. “The number of bridges falling into poor condition is expected to increase greatly in the coming years and this funding will allow us to make necessary improvements before these bridges deteriorate to the point of closure.”
Some of the bridges projects that move forward this year with the first installment of federal money include:
- LA 531 over I-20 Bridge Replacement in Webster Parish
- Interstate 10 over US & Missouri Pacific RR in Calcasieu and Jefferson Davis Parishes
- Jimmie Davis Bridge Replacement in Caddo Parish
- US 90Z – Harvey Canal Tunnel Rehabilitation in Jefferson Parish
- I-10 Sabine River Bridges Rehabilitation in Calcasieu Parish
- I-20 Orange Street Overpass Repair in Ouachita Parish
- US 61 Jefferson Highway Overpass Repair in East Baton Rouge Parish
- LA 47 Intracoastal Waterway Gulf Outlet Bridge Rehabilitation in Orleans Parish
- LA 485 Bridges near Allen Louisiana (Natchitoches Parish)
- LA 835 Creek Bridges in Morehouse Parish
- LA 121 over the Calcasieu River in Rapides Parish
- LA 182 over Berwick Bay Bridge Rehabilitation in St. Mary Parish
- US 51 over the Yellow Water River in Tangipahoa Parish
- LA 1183 over Turner Canal in Avoyelles Parish
- LA 1226 over Bayou Chevreuille in Natchitoches Parish
- LA 961 over Sandy Creek in East Feliciana Parish
- LA 404 Bayou and Canal Bridges in Iberville Parish
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