Highways & Bridges

BKI was retained by the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development to upgrade the outdated cloverleaf interchange with directional and semi-directional ramps. The improvements were done in two construction phases. Phase I upgraded the eastern half of the interchange and Phase II the western half.

Phase I improved the following features: new elevated ramp northbound Causeway Boulevard to westbound I-10 (Ramp NCW), new elevated ramp westbound I-10 to northbound Causeway Boulevard (Ramp WNC), new at-grade ramp from northbound Causeway Boulevard to eastbound I-10 (Ramp NCE), new at-grade ramp from westbound I-10 to Veterans Boulevard including realignment of at-grade northbound Causeway Boulevard (Ramp WV), and combination existing bridge widening and new at-grade ramp from northbound Causeway Boulevard to Veterans Boulevard (Ramp NCV).

Phase II featured the following major improvements: realignment of northwest frontage road (Ramp WF), new at-grade ramp from Veterans Boulevard to westbound I-10 (Ramp VW), new at-grade ramp from Veterans Boulevard to eastbound I-10 including realignment of at-grade southbound Causeway Boulevard (Ramp VE), new at-grade loop ramp from westbound I-10 to southbound Causeway Boulevard including widening of existing bridge (Ramp WSC), new elevated ramp from southbound Causeway Boulevard to westbound I-10 (Ramp SCW), and new elevated flyover ramp from Ramp SCW to eastbound I-10 (Ramp SCE).

The construction cost was approximately $90 million.

BKI is currently designing a limited access four-lane/six-lane roadway from Interstate 20 / 59 to the Black Warrior River in Tuscaloosa County for the Alabama Department of Transportation.

The six-mile project contains five interchanges and 22 bridges over railroads, roadways, and streams. The bridges have varied geometry including skews, horizontal curves, and vertical curves. The substructures also vary and include hammerhead piers, steel piles, and drilled shafts.

Superstructures range from simple AASHTO girders to curved-steel designs.

BKI was selected by the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development along with FIGG Bridge Engineers and Site-Blauvelt to develop a segmental concrete box girder alternative to the LADOTD ASSHTO girder alternative for replacement of the I-10 bridges over Lake Pontchartrain. This was a fast track project to replace the existing bridges, which suffered heavy damage from Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005.

The first construction package for four miles of level bridge structure was ready for bidding in just over four months. The navigation channel portion, approximately one mile of bridge structure, followed four months later.

BKI’s responsibilities included designing and detailing of the substructure for the segmental concrete box girder bridge and the electrical design and details for both the LADOTD girder alternative and the consultant segmental alternative. BKI modeled the bridge piers using FB-Pier and designed them in accordance with the ASSHTO Load Resistance Factor Design Bridge Design Specifications.  In addition to the normal ASSHTO loadings, the piers were designed to resist hurricane wave action and vessel impact loads.  

BKI also performed an independent detailing check of the LADOTD girder alternative. BKI’s electrical design on the LADOTD alternative provided power for the ITS system, motorized crossover barriers and navigation lighting along with provisions for future roadway lighting including embedded raceways in the bridge deck. Electrical design for the consultant alternative provided power for the ITS system, motorized crossover barriers and navigation lighting, maintenance lighting and power inside the box girders, provisions for future roadway lighting including block outs, and embedded raceways in the box sections.