TRAYLOR BROS 9/18/07 1:39 PM Page 263
along the Mississippi River and the Gulf LA1 Project
Coast. They have the same level of expe-
rience with these types of projects. Kiewit
brings experienced personnel to the
table. They have a very strong financial
position, as well.”
The bridge itself is an important link
to New Orleans, Armstrong says. “With-
out it, economic hardship in New Orleans
would be even worse than it is,” he ass-
erts. “Businesses and government agen-
cies are anxious to have the bridge im-
proved and back in service.”
Many of the project’s employees and
subcontractors are local, while some
bridge workers have relocated from other
areas of the country to work on the proj-
ect,” Armstrong notes.
He says several technical aspects will
make the bridge better than the original.
The concrete, for example, is high-perform-
ance and high-density to prevent chloride
penetration and future concrete deterio-
ration, he says. Elevated above flood
water level with wider, more generous
breakdown lanes, the bridge will be able
to withstand a Category 5 hurricane
storm surge, Armstrong says.
lion. Phase 2 is the seven-mile northern
The LaDOTD has also tasked Traylor Bros.
and joint venture partner Massman Con-
struction with the construction of the new
LA1 relocated elevated highway between
Golden Meadow and Fourchon, La. The
17-mile corridor crosses wetlands, bay-
ous, channels and flood plains, making it
a sensitive environmental area, Traylor
Bros. says. “The existing LA1 is a primary
transportation route for the seafood ind-
ustry and foreign oil offloaded from ships
in the Gulf of Mexico,” it states. “It also
serves as a hurricane evacuation route for
the citizen population of 35,000 and 6,000
offshore workers.”
The joint venture is replacing the exist-
ing road, which floods in severe weather,
with an elevated roadway consisting of
low- and medium-level bridges, two ele-
vated interchanges and two fixed high-
level bridges over navigable waterways.
The joint venture is responsible for two
of the three segments of the first phase
of the project, which covers the 10-mile
southern segment from Leeville to Four-
chon. Phase 1B is valued at $141.4 mil-
lion and Phase 1C is valued at $20.2 mil-
segment from Golden Meadow to Leeville.
Traylor Bros. says it is no stranger to
projects in Louisiana. “From the early to
mid-’80s, TBI was involved in the Gram-
ercy substructure and superstructure, both
substantially very large projects for that
time period,” it says. “Being back in Louis-
iana is a little bit like being back home
again, and we welcome the opportunity.”
Dedicated Professionals
TBI was founded in 1946 and is current-
ly headed by President, Chairman and
CEO Thomas W. Traylor, along with an
executive-level management team that
includes his sons, Chris and Mike Traylor.
Reporting directly to this management
team is a variety of department/project
managers.
TBI is headquartered in Evansville,
Ind., and its permanent divisional offices
are located in El Segundo and Irvine,
Calif. “Like the international headquar-
ters located in Evansville, each divisional
office is staffed with dedicated profes-
sionals in all areas of construction man-
agement,” the company states. ■
OCTOBER 2007 ■ CONSTRUCTION TODAY ■ 263