ACP Pubs

Low Bid For Final Phase of Huey P. Long Bridge Widening Beats Estimated Construction Costs
April 2, 2008

Phase IV of the Hey P. Long Widening Project was let at $16 million under estimated construction costs. A joint venture of Peter Kiewit Sons’, Inc., Massman Construction Co., and Traylor Brothers, Inc. submitted the apparent low bid at $434 million. The estimated construction cost was $450 million.

The lower bid comes as a surprise in a region where prices are still high and bids routinely go over the original estimates. After the hurricanes of 2005, many projects were reevaluated and cost estimates were adjusted to reflect the changes in supply and demand. The Huey P. Long Bridge Widening estimates were revised post-Katrina to reflect industry-wide increases in construction materials, labor, equipment and housing.

Phase IV construction includes the widening of the bridge deck from two 9-foot lanes in

each direction to three 11-foot lanes with inside and outside shoulders across the bridge. The final phase of the project also includes construction of new roadway approaches that will provide signalized intersections at Bridge City Avenue and Jefferson Highway. The Jefferson Highway overpass on the East Bank and the traffic circle on the West Bank will be replaced with elevated ramps. The entire project is scheduled to be complete in 2013.

Posted by Lisa Doyle on April 2, 2008 | Comments (0)