ST. HELENA PARISH, La. – The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development announces that the Beaver Creek (La. 10) Bridge, which had to be completely rebuilt following irreparable damage during the catastrophic August 2016 floods, will reopen to vehicular traffic in time for the evening rush hour on Friday, Nov. 10. The $2.1 million project to rebuild the structure, also known as the Greensburg Bridge, began in March 2017.

Prior to reconstruction by Coastal Bridge Co., LLC, work to demolish the old bridge was done by River Road Construction, Inc., and started in December 2016. The most significant damage was to the pile embedment, which serves to transfer loads to the subsurface of the bridge, making the main corridor in St. Helena Parish impassable. Because of this damage, the bridge was deemed unsafe to drive on and risked failure under load or with hydraulic pressure, e.g., rain events causing water flow to ‘push’ against the bridge. The structure had been deemed unsound and required the replacement as it is not feasible to simply repair the bridge. The new bridge is wider and has a 40-plus year lifespan.

“This new bridge is great news for those who travel La. 10 and is a continued sign of our state’s recovery from the August 2016 flood that devastated so much of this area,” said Gov. John Bel Edwards. “I appreciate the efforts of everyone involved to reach this point and I remain committed to maximizing every bit of recovery and infrastructure funding to move Louisiana in the right direction.”

“I appreciate the public’s patience as we built this new structure,” said DOTD Secretary Shawn D. Wilson, Ph.D. “There were talks early in the process of building a temporary bridge. However, the decision to build a new bridge, that doesn’t have weight restrictions will be beneficial in the long run.”

“I’m very proud of this $2 million project,” said Representative Robby Carter. “This has been a real inconvenience for the people of St. Helena. Hopefully, this new structure will last a long time and be of great use to area travelers.”

Motorists can access the latest updates on real-time traffic and road conditions using the 511 Traveler Information System by dialing 511 from their telephone and saying the route or region on which they are seeking information. Out-of-state travelers can call 1-888-ROAD-511 (1-888-762-3511). Travelers can also access this information by visiting the 511 Traveler Information Web site at www.511la.org.

www.dotd.la.gov