Reconstruction of the Wisner Bridge over I-610 is slightly delayed and the detour remains in effect. Construction of the new $19.5M bridge began in December 2015. It was originally scheduled to be completed this spring; however, during construction, the Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) determined that the finger joints, which connect sections of the bridge deck together, did not fit properly. As a result, the designer is implementing corrective measures to ensure public safety for the design life of the bridge. This is expected to delay completion of the bridge until September 30, 2017. This new date will allow the bridge to be open for use by the pedestrians and bicyclists, as well as vehicular traffic at the same time.
Once completed, the bridge will feature a new steel girder supported deck with decorative railing, two 12-foot wide travel lanes in each direction and a 12-foot wide shared use path (pedestrian and bicycle) across the bridge.
This project is being managed by DOTD and the City as part of the off-system bridge program and funding is provided through an 80/20 cost share agreement with majority funding from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and administered by the Louisiana DOTD on behalf of the City respectively. The City contributed $400K to the construction cost of the project. The construction contractor is Boh Bros. Construction, LLC and the designer is Rahman & Associates.