PROJECT UPDATE: LA 3033 Cheniere Lake Bridge & Spillway Replacement, Ouachita Parish
Today, The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development provided an update on the continued progress for the Cheniere Lake Bridge & Spillway Replacement Project on LA 3033 in West Monroe, Ouachita Parish.
So far, the contractor has removed and separated both the old bridge and spillway that were previously connected as one structure. A new bridge and fixed crest weir have been built to improve future operations for both the bridge and the spillway.
Currently, work is moving forward to place embankment material along the roadway and new bridge. Additionally, settlement plates were installed at the base of the excavation site where a washout occurred in late 2022 that halted work on the project until April 2023.
The settlement plates will be monitored for a period of time, and that data will indicate when the appropriate amount of settlement has occurred. The settlement time period will begin once the embankment operations in the vicinity of the washout are complete.
Once the settlement time period is over the new roadway can be built and the highway opened to traffic.
The length of the settlement period depends heavily on soil characteristics of material below the previous structure that were not impacted during this project’s construction.
Sheet pile removal efforts around the new spillway are also continuing until all are removed. The sheet piles were placed to begin excavation and embankment of levee material when the lake and river elevation levels were high.
DOTD anticipates being able to open the bridge on LA 3033 in early 2024, depending on roadway settlement data and weather conditions. We understand the importance of completing this project to the community, and continue to work diligently to achieve that goal.
Contact information:
Erin Buchanan
Public Information Officer
Monroe District
(318) 549-8402
erin.buchanan@la.gov
Cheniere Lake Bridge & Spillway Project, Ouachita Parish (photo source: DOTD)
Cheniere Lake Bridge & Spillway Project, Ouachita Parish (photo source: DOTD)
Cheniere Lake Bridge & Spillway Project, Ouachita Parish (photo source: DOTD)