Preliminary site work has started on a multi-million-dollar project to build a new Jimmie Davis Bridge for La. Highway 511 across the Red River connecting Bossier and Caddo Parishes, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) announced Dec. 5.
While major elements of the project, such as the new bridge and roadway approaches, are still in the design phase, the state agency noted that the traveling public will notice preliminary activity taking place near the foot of the existing bridge.
Clearing and grubbing currently is under way, a process that involves the removal of various types of vegetation that are located in the right-of-way.
Additionally, a crane has been assembled on site, and steel has arrived for the purpose of assembling a trestle bridge that will be used by work crews during construction of the new bridge spans.
Major construction on the new four-lane structure, which will be located just north of the existing span, is still about a year away, as design work continues, according to a DOTD new release.
The design phase also includes the transformation of the existing bridge into a linear park connecting the bicycle and pedestrian trails on each side of the Red River. When that is finished, the repurposed bridge will be transferred to Louisiana State Parks within the Office of Culture, Recreation and Tourism.
Additionally, La. 511/Jimmie Davis Highway will be reconstructed from the east end of the Jimmie Davis Bridge to U.S. 71/Barksdale Boulevard into a four-lane, median-divided highway, providing a full-access interchange between La. 511 and Arthur Ray Teague Parkway.
Costly Building Materials Led to Higher Bid Price
After thoroughly evaluating the cost proposal for the bridge project, DOTD decided last spring to award the design-build contract to James Construction Group, a Texas firm with an office in Baton Rouge. Of the two teams that submitted proposals, the contractor won the project with a price bid of $361.7 million and a proposed time of 1,768 calendar days (just under five years) to complete the work.
With the cost being substantially higher than what was anticipated, the Louisiana DOTD carefully reviewed the proposal to determine the basis for the price bid, according to the agency. It was found by the agency's staff that the bid came in higher due to increasing construction inflation, especially with structural pay items such as concrete and steel.
In its analysis, DOTD determined that the cost of some of these items is likely to continue to rise and, with an almost five-year construction period, the cost of the Jimmie Davis Bridge project includes some consideration of this risk. Additionally, the transportation department said it does not anticipate that a lower cost would be achievable with a new procurement or different project delivery method.
The original design-build procurement for the effort was canceled in August 2022 due to a lack of competition, but DOTD reinitiated the process in an expedited manner after incorporating changes to address the feedback it received.
Louisiana's transportation agency worked with the state Division of Administration to secure additional state general obligation bonds for the bridge project prior to awarding the contract.
The Jimmie Davis Bridge replacement project also is being funded through allocations from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the American Rescue Plan Act.
Full construction is anticipated to begin in early 2024, with an estimated completion in late 2028, weather permitting, according to DOTD.
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