Louisiana Department of Transportation & Development (DOTD) said that unexpected settlement has been discovered during construction of the LA 1 replacement bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway in West Baton Rouge. The project could be delayed by up to 10 months.
Geotechnical personnel from DOTD and the contractor, Kiewit Louisiana, determined that installation of additional or longer piles could lessen the excessive settlement. In lieu of adding more or longer piles, the issue will be mitigated using an alternative soil improvement technique, low-mobility grouting. Grout will be injected into the ground beneath the piles to compact loose soils.
The US$57.7 million project, which began in April 2022, will replace the current southbound bridge with a new bridge that will be constructed on the west side of the existing structure. A second phase will remove both of the existing original bridges and construct a new northbound structure.