DOTD begins final phase of U.S. 190 Mississippi River Bridge painting and repair project in Baton Rouge
Wednesday, September 03, 2014 at 10:43:51 AM
BATON ROUGE, La. – Today, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development announced the beginning of Phase II, the final phase, of a project involving painting and structural steel repairs to the U.S. 190 Mississippi River Bridge between Baton Rouge and Port Allen.

This final phase of the project will involve painting, cleaning and repairs to the railroad portion of the bridge. Work began this week and will be completed late 2016. The project was awarded to Abhe & Svoboda, Inc. for $21.9 million.

The first phase of the project, which began in late September 2012, and is scheduled to be complete in fall 2015, cleaned, painted and performed structural steel repairs to the roadway portion of the bridge. The project was awarded to Liberty Maintenance – Alpha Paint, a joint venture, for $74.8 million.

The bridge, which carries an average of 28,600 commuters daily, links East Baton Rouge and West Baton Rouge parishes. It is part of a major freight corridor that is critical to the region and serves the entire state, connecting to I-10 and I-110 in Baton Rouge, to I-49 in Opelousas and to I-55 in Hammond, and serves as an alternate route to I-10 for east-west traffic. Painting and performing structural steel repairs will extend the life of the bridge, while improving the overall appearance of the structure and revitalizing the surrounding area for residents and businesses.

The U.S. 190 Bridge is important to residents and businesses in the Capitol City area, connecting Baton Rouge to Port Allen, and providing access to the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport and the Port of Baton Rouge. Additionally, the bridge provides access to large businesses and industries in both East and West Baton Rouge parishes including ExxonMobil Chemical Co., Albemarle Corporation, Formosa Plastics Corporation, Baton Rouge Plastics, International Piping Systems, the Belle of Baton Rouge Casino, and the Hollywood Casino Baton Rouge.