DOTD John James Audubon Bridge project named winner of DBIA 2012 Design Excellence Award
Friday, November 09, 2012 at 12:20:00 PM
BATON ROUGE, La. – The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) John James Audubon Bridge was named winner of the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA) 2012 Design Excellence Award. The award was announced on Thursday, November 8, at the DBIA’s Awards Dinner in New Orleans.

DOTD Secretary Sherri H. LeBas, who accepted the award on behalf of DOTD and the design-build team, said, “I am extremely proud of this beautiful new structure. By using the design-build process for the construction of the John James Audubon Bridge, DOTD was able to achieve maximum cost-savings and efficiency.”
The John James Audubon Bridge was a part of the Louisiana Transportation Infrastructure Model for Economic Development (TIMED) program, the single largest transportation program in the state’s history.

The John James Audubon Bridge is the longest cable-stayed bridge in the Western Hemisphere and is also the first Design-Build project undertaken by the department. The new bridge over the Mississippi River includes almost 12 miles of new roadways leading up to the bridge and connects Point Coupee and West Feliciana parishes. Construction on the $409 million bridge began in May 2006. DOTD expedited the opening of the new bridge in May 2011 due to flooding on the Mississippi River.
The new bridge improves freight and commerce efficiency for major industries. Without the bridge, travelers and freight haulers added 25-30 miles to their trip. Reduced freight travel time cuts down on costs that would otherwise be directly passed on to consumers, and reduces fuel emissions.
DOTD partnered with Audubon Bridge Constructors (ABC), a joint venture of Flatiron Corporation, Granite Construction, and Parsons Transportation Group to construct the new bridge.

The DBIA’s mission is to promote the value of design-build project delivery and teaches the effective integration of design and construction services to ensure success for owners and design and construction practitioners.