FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, October 23, 2018
Report available at: tripnet.org
Contact: Carolyn Bonifas Kelly 703.801.9212 (cell)
Rocky Moretti 202.262.0714 (cell)
TRIP office 202.466.6706
TWELVE PERCENT OF NEW ORLEANS BRIDGES ARE STRUCTURALLY DEFICIENT. NEW REPORT IDENTIFIES BRIDGES IN NEW ORLEANS AREA THAT ARE MOST IN NEED OF REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT
Eds.: The report includes a list of bridges in the New Orleans area with the lowest average rating for the condition of the deck, superstructure and substructure, and a list of the most heavily traveled structurally deficient bridges in the area.
New Orleans, LA – Twelve percent of bridges (20 feet or longer) in the New Orleans area (which includes Jefferson and Orleans Parishes) are structurally deficient, according to a new report released today by TRIP, a Washington, DC based national nonprofit transportation research group. A bridge is structurally deficient if there is significant deterioration of the bridge deck, supports or other major components.
The TRIP report, “Preserving New Orleans Bridges: The Condition and Funding Needs of New Orleans’ Aging Bridge System,” finds that in the New Orleans area, 88 of the 745 bridges are structurally deficient – a total of 12 percent. Bridges in the New Orleans area that are structurally deficient carry approximately one million vehicles per day. Structurally deficient bridges may be posted for lower weight limits or closed if their condition warrants such action. Deteriorated bridges can have a significant impact on daily life. Restrictions on vehicle weight may cause many vehicles – especially emergency vehicles, commercial trucks, school buses and farm equipment – to use alternate routes to avoid weight-restricted bridges. Redirected trips also lengthen travel time, waste fuel and reduce the efficiency of the local economy.
The chart below details the 10 most heavily traveled structurally deficient bridges in the New Orleans area. A list of the 25 most heavily traveled structurally deficient bridges in the region is available in the report.
| Parish | Urban Area | Facility Carried | Feature Intersected | Year Built | Average Daily Traffic | Open, Closed, Posted | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orleans | New Orleans | I0010 | Inner Harbor/City STS | 1966 | 116500 | Open |
| 2 | Jefferson | New Orleans | I0010 | Vet Memorial Highway | 1967 | 84720 | Open |
| 3 | Jefferson | New Orleans | I0010 | Vet. Memorial Highway | 1967 | 84720 | Open |
| 4 | Jefferson | Kenner | I0010 | Loyola Ave. | 1971 | 61800 | Open |
| 5 | Jefferson | New Orleans | LA3046 | R/R, City STS, LA 611 | 1957 | 52500 | Open |
| 6 | Orleans | New Orleans | Wisner Blvd. | I-610 & Southern RR | 1973 | 37553 | Closed |
| 7 | Orleans | New Orleans | I0010 | Drain Canal | 1967 | 34260 | Open |
| 8 | Orleans | New Orleans | I0010 | Drain Canal | 1967 | 33050 | Open |
| 9 | Orleans | New Orleans | I0010 | Drain Canal | 1967 | 33050 | Open |
| 10 | Jefferson | New Orleans | US00908 | Harvey Canal/STS/RR | 1987 | 33000 | Open |
The following 10 structurally deficient bridges in the New Orleans area (carrying a minimum of 500 vehicles per day) have the lowest average rating for deck, substructure and superstructure. Each major component of a bridge is rated on a scale of zero to nine, with a score of four or below indicating poor condition. If a bridge receives a rating of four or below for its deck, substructure or superstructure, it is rated as structurally deficient. A list of the 25 bridges in the New Orleans area with the lowest average sufficiency rating is included in the report.
| Parish | Urban Area | Facility Carried | Feature Intersected | Year Built | Average Daily Traffic | Open, Closed, Posted | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orleans | New Orleans | Wisner Blvd. | I-610 & Southern RR | 1973 | 37553 | Closed |
| 2 | Jefferson | Grand Isle | LA0001 | Bayou Thunder Overflow | 1977 | 4800 | Posted |
| 3 | Jefferson | LA0045 | Drain Canal | 1959 | 2000 | Open | |
| 4 | Orleans | New Orleans | I0010 | Inner Harbor/City STS | 1966 | 116500 | Open |
| 5 | Orleans | New Orleans | LA0047 | Bayou Bienvenue | 1973 | 28100 | Open |
| 6 | Jefferson | Metairie | W. Metairie Ave | Suburban Canal | 1968 | 24900 | Open |
| 7 | Orleans | US0011 | Lake Pontchartrain | 1938 | 6800 | Posted | |
| 8 | Orleans | New Orleans | US0090 | Chef Menteur Pass | 1930 | 1410 | Posted |
| 9 | Jefferson | New Orleans | US0090B | Harvey Canal/STS/RR | 1987 | 33000 | Open |
| 10 | Orleans | New Orleans | US0061 | I-10 | 1940 | 21500 | Posted |
“Louisiana’s bridges are a critical component of the state’s transportation system, providing connections for personal mobility, economic growth and quality of life,” said Will Wilkins, TRIP’s executive director. “Without increased and reliable transportation funding, numerous projects to improve and preserve Louisiana’s aging bridges will not move forward, hampering the state’s ability to efficiently and safety move people and goods.”