The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development announces that the temporary trestle bridge for the Jimmie Davis Bridge (LA 511) replacement project over the Red River in Bossier and Caddo Parishes is nearing completion, and should be wrapping up in mid to late February.
This is an important accomplishment for the $360 million project as the temporary structure will be used to move large equipment out onto the water in order to allow for construction of the new Jimmie Davis Bridge, which is being built adjacent to the old existing bridge.
Additionally, the design-build contractor – Primoris Heavy-Civil (James Construction Group) – is working on drilled shafts, concrete pile delivery, drainage upgrades, and a significant amount of earthwork on both sides of the river as part of the new on and off-ramps and roadway approaches to the new bridge. Drilled shafts are deep foundation elements that support the bridge columns.
The first pile driving operations for the new bridge have also begun, another notable milestone for the project as this marks the beginning of major construction for the new structure. These operations will become more widespread in the coming weeks, taking place at various locations.
The widening and realignment of LA 511 (Jimmie Davis Hwy) on either side of the existing bridge is also ongoing, and will continue throughout much of the project. This is necessary to allow the roadway to properly line up with the new 4-lane bridge, to be located immediately north of the old bridge.
The overall purpose of the project is to double the vehicle capacity of the river crossing, which will have a multi-pronged positive impact on the area – including drastically reducing congestion and queuing during peak travel times, improvement in response times for emergency responders, and support for economic development through the efficient movement of people and goods.
The new bridge is anticipated to be open to traffic by early 2027, weather and other factors permitting.
Additional information can be found at the Jimmie Davis Bridge project webpage by clicking here.