At the Sept. 17 St. Martin Parish Council committee meetings, held this month in Butte LaRose, the topic that got the most attention was the planned replacement of the community’s pontoon bridge along the East Atchafalaya Protection Levee.
The parish recently received Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (GOMESA) bond sale proceeds in the amount of $9.5 million for the project.
The pontoon bridge, an Atchafalaya Basin landmark for years, has become a money pit for the parish since the time it overturned during a high-water event in the late 1990s, Cedars said. Inspectors at that time concluded that it was “living on borrowed time,” and would need to be replaced.
But construction of a new bridge has been beyond the parish’s financial capability although an increasing amount of money has been spent for repairs and upkeep on the floating bridge in recent years.
The bridge has to be closed when water levels gets too high. And traffic nightmares occur when 18-wheel trucks, which cannot cross the bridge, are nonetheless directed there by GPS navigation tools when the I-10 Basin Bridge is shut down due to accidents.
Grant Secured
A few months ago, Cedars began exploring the possibility that rules governing the use of GOMESA grants might be interpreted to apply to this particular bridge replacement.
On the basis that Bayou LaRose, the waterway spanned by the bridge, is part of the complex system that provides access to the Louisiana coast for both commercial and recreational use, approval seemed reasonably likely.
Also, Cedars says, the fact that it makes up a part of the Mississippi Delta drainage system that receives 40 percent of the nation’s water runoff, should impact the decision as well. The bonding firm involved agreed and negotiated the sale.
“We have no time line for the project yet,” Cedars added, “this is a sensitive area for construction. Permits still have to be obtained from a number of agen-
cies.”
The bond is secured by GOMESA grant funds only. If those funds were to “dry up” for any reason, the parish will be under no obligation to pay off the balance.
Attendees at the meeting in the Butte LaRose fire station had a number of concerns. One asked whether the pontoon bridge might be preserved in some way, as a local relic.
Cedars responded that, while the parish is not in control of that, “I strongly suspect that it would be preserved, not simply destroyed.”
Asked whether the new bridge will open up LA3177/Herman Dupuis Road to unlimited 18-wheeler traffic, Cedars said that would not be likely, but that would be under the conrol of the state DOTD.
The type of bridge under consideration, one that could be built within the $9.5 million budget, will probably have a limited load rating,” Cedars suggested. The exact specifications are still being worked out by an engineering firm.
But the frequent closures and high maintenance costs would end, with no serious financial risks to the parish.
