April 16, 2021 By Frank McCormack
The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LADOTD) held a virtual groundbreaking ceremony April 12 for the project to replace the Judge Perez Bridge, a vertical lift bridge over the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW) in Belle Chasse, La., and the accompanying tunnel that passes under the canal. The bridge forms part of Louisiana Highway 23, the main roadway that connects all the communities on the west bank of Plaquemines Parish stretching about 70 miles between Belle Chasse and Venice to the rest of the greater New Orleans area.
The Judge Perez Bridge opened in September 1968, while the tunnel opened to traffic in February 1956. The tunnel, innovative when it first opened, is thought to be the first tunnel in the world that did not require personnel to operate it. Today, more than 33,000 vehicles cross the structures each day, with mechanical issues at the bridge and
April 12, 2021 By Waterways Journal
The Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) has applied to the Eighth Coast Guard District for approval of a plan to build a replacement bridge protection system for the Interstate 10 bridge over the San Jacinto River at mile 2.5 on the San Jacinto near Channelview, Texas.
That’s the same fender system damaged in a September 2019 barge breakaway that followed torrential rain related to Tropical Storm Imelda. In that event, nine barges broke their moorings, with several barges impacting the I-10 bridge over the San Jacinto River.
According to a public notice from the U.S. Coast Guard detailing the bridge permit application, TXDOT intends to remove and replace the four dolphin structures and navigation fenders on either side of the bridge.