H.000284/H.000286 US 90 Pearl River Bridges (HBI) Sec 106 Request Consulting Parties
Monday, October 21, 2019 at 11:37:42 AM
STATE PROJECT NOS.: H.000284 / H.000286
FEDERAL AID PROJECT NOS.: H.000284 / H000286
NAME: US 90 PEARL RIVER BRIDGES (HBI)
STRUCTURE / RECALL NOS.: 625200060705291/ 058710, 625200060706701/ 058720, 625200060707111/ 058730, 625200060707701/ 058740, 625200060800001/ 058750
ROUTE: US 90
PARISH/COUNTY: ST. TAMMANY PARISH, LA., AND HANCOCK COUNTY, MS.
SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR CONSULTING PARTIES FOR INITIATION OF SECTION 106
The Louisiana Department of Transportation (LADOTD) and the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) are proposing to rehabilitate and/or replace five bridges on US 90 in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana and Hancock County, Mississippi (see attached map), using federal funds. All five bridges are eligible for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Four bridges within Louisiana are subject to the Section 106 Programmatic Agreement for Treatment of Louisiana Historic Bridges. Adverse effects to these four bridges will be mitigated through stipulations of the programmatic agreement. State border crossing bridges such as the East Pearl River Bridge were not covered under the programmatic agreement and require separate Section 106 consultation.
The East Pearl River Bridge (Str. No. 625200060800001) was built in 1933. This Parker through truss swing bridge has significance for its association with important trends and events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of Louisiana history. Its significance is demonstrated in the area of transportation as a major river crossing that eliminated a former ferry crossing and as an integral part of the Rigolets to Pearlington shortcut between Louisiana and the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The construction of the bridge was part of a larger Louisiana Highway Department effort in the 1930s to upgrade the route and eliminate all ferry crossings along the route.
The bridge also possessed significance as an example of a moveable bridge and as a subtype. Its significance is demonstrated by the presence of distinctive engineering and design features of a through truss swing bridge, which is characterized by the Parker Truss configuration, center-bearing turning mechanism, pivot pier and operator’s house centered about the roadway, over the pivot pier. In addition to the Parker truss swing span this bridge has two fixed Parker truss spans. This bridge appears to conform to state standard plan (S-S-54). The bridge retains good integrity and clearly conveys the design features that demonstrate its significance as a major river crossing and as a distinct moveable bridge subtype. The bridge is eligible for the NRHP under Criterion A: Transportation and Criterion C: Design/Engineering.
Replacement of the East Pearl River Bridge would result in an adverse effect to this NRHP-eligible bridge and potentially, dependent on alternative selection, one adjacent standing structure (#5098 SR 604). Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act requires the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), LADOTD, and MDOT, in consultation with the Louisiana State Historic Preservation Officer (LASHPO) and the Mississippi State Historic Preservation Officer (MSSHPO), to identify consulting parties in order to assure that historic properties are taken into consideration at all levels of project planning and development.
For additional information, or to request to be a consulting party, contact LADOTD via e-mail at Stacie.Palmer@la.gov, phone at (225) 242-4517, or mail to LADOTD, Attn: Environmental Engineer Administrator, P.O. Box 94245, Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9245. Please provide reasons for requesting to be a consulting party. Responses would be appreciated by November 25, 2019. If you are aware of other individuals or other organizations that may be interested in this undertakings effect on historic properties, please forward their names and contact information to Stacie Palmer.
East Pearl River Bridge, southwest elevation, facing northeast.
