Bayou Lafourche to close for overpass construction

Marine and vessel traffic traveling Bayou Lafourche between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday will have to seek an alternative route beginning in mid-April.

Project managers overseeing the construction of an overpass near the Leeville lift span bridge said work in the area will primarily block the waterway to large crafts. The work is expected to continue through November.

The news was delivered to members of the marine and fishing industries Tuesday morning at a meeting held at the Greater Lafourche Port Commission building in Galliano.

At certain intervals during the construction, however, small vessels will be able to pass either through the main span or an alternate span.

“Although the bayou will be closed during those 12 hours six days a week, the waterway will be open for regular commercial and recreational traffic Monday through Saturday from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. and all day and night on Sunday,” said Jon Callais, director of security for Port Fourchon.

Beginning in April, worker will be driving pilings in the bayou to support the overpass to be placed over Bayou Lafourche.

“There will be two pilings in the waterway, and we will begin moving equipment into the area just as soon as electrical lines are moved,” said Robert DeLouche, project engineer for Traylor Massman Construction, the firm handling the construction work.

The first piling will be driven from mid-April to June, according to project engineer Greg Cangelosi. The second piling will be added in June and July. “At that point, sub-structure work must be completed, with one piling facing completion in September and the other in November,” he said.

Because of the nature and location of the work, up to three barges n a crane barge and assist barges n must be used in the work, thereby blocking most of Bayou Lafourche to marine traffic during construction work hours.

“Due to the vicinity of the old Leeville Bridge and where the utilities are located, it gives us a limited area to drive pilings and put our barges in the middle of Bayou Lafourche,” said Robert DeLouche, project engineer from Traylor/Massman, the contractor on the bridge construction project.

Cangelosi acknowledged that the work is very precise and that a wake could cause a shift in the equipment. He said the firm was committed to making the closure as painless as possible. “We will not clutter the channel with barges if one or two are unnecessary at a certain time,” he said.

A temporary bypass channel will likely be established on the west side of Bayou Lafourche near the main beam of the bridge, according to Calais. “It’s an area where there has been a good bit of erosion but it’s a fairly wide space,” he said, acknowledging that the width of the area could be upwards of 100 feet.

“The temporary channel would require going under the fixed span of the current bridge so no lifting would be possible for tall boats or boats with booms,” Callais continued. He noted that the U.S. Coast Guard is expected to mark the temporary channel in the near future as work on the pilings begins in the coming weeks.

The state Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) is also expected to mark the height clearance for passage through the area. Once marked, the area can be used only during the times when the bayou is blocked for construction and will only accommodate smaller vessels.

“No tows or trawl boats with booms will be allowed in the temporary space,” Calliais emphasized.

Speaking on behalf of the Coast Guard, David Frank said he has had ongoing discussions with Port Fourchon Director Ted Falgout and members of the LA1 Coalition for about eight years about the project. “I have asked every question possible to figure out the easiest way to do this; this is the best way for mariners,” he added.

To help mariners during the construction, Traylor/Massman is permitting a few moorings in the Leeville area for boats to tie up to while waiting to cross the construction zone.

The elevated Leeville Bridge project has long been hailed by the port commission.

“The new bridge will bring the port into the future, and it will be inconvenience for a while; it will be better in the long run for everyone involved” said Larry Griffin, port commission president.