DOTD continues work on the I-10 Highrise in New Orleans following fire
Monday, November 20, 2017 at 3:54:35 PM
NEW ORLEANS, La. - The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development and contractor Boh Brothers Construction, LLC continue emergency temporary repairs to the area beneath the eastbound left and center lanes of the Interstate 10 Highrise Bridge that was damaged by a fire, last week. During the repairs, the left and center lanes will remain closed.
Emergency temporary repairs to support the three affected girders are progressing and will be followed by the requisite inspection. DOTD is committed to ensuring the safety of the interstate system and anticipates reopening the bridge before Thanksgiving, and possibly as early as tomorrow afternoon.
In response to the fire, which occurred beneath the I-10 elevated structure, DOTD Bridge Design and Maintenance engineers made an initial inspection of the bridge and determined that damage due to the fire was discovered on three of the girders in the span located over the area of the incident. The damage to the third girder was significantly less than that of the other two.
With nearly 118,000 daily commuters traversing the Highrise, it was necessary to install temporary shoring, or supports, beneath the bridge to reinforce the damaged bridge span. Once installed, the shoring will allow the reopening of all traffic lanes on I-10 in the vicinity of the damage. This shoring will remain in place until permanent repairs can be made to the structure.
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