LEONARD GRAY / L’Observateur / March 8, 2000

DESTREHAN – Airline Highway’s overlay project is nearing completion at last, with the end expected by late March, according to the state highway department.

Bruce Purdue, the Department of Transportation and Development project engineer for the Airline Highway overlay project from the St. John to theJefferson Parish line, reported the project is more than 90 percent completed in 70 percent of the contract time, meaning the project is well ahead of schedule.

“We’ve finished the roadways and Interstate 310 ramps,” Purdue added.

“We just have some shoulder work, some turnouts, striping and a new guard rail.

One thing which speeded up the work was the quick installation of box culverts alongside the highway in less time than called for in the contract.

“We over-estimated the time it would take for them to build the box culverts,” Pursue said.

Contractor Angelo Iafraite began work in January 1999 on the $5,495,000 contract, the first overlay in at least 15 years of that segment of Airline Highway.

St. Charles Parish motorists will see work start up in a matter of days onthe west bank, as several projects prepare to get under way, according to DOTD engineer Ozzie Hansen.

On U.S. Highway 90, an eastbound turn lane will be added at Tiger Drive inMozella, and an extension of the present eastbound turn lane to Interstate 310 will begin in a matter of days.

Barriere Construction has the $43,906.90 project, which is scheduled totake 45 working days to complete.

Hansen said Barriere also has the overlay work planned to begin in late April or early May to overlay Louisiana Highway 48 (River Road) from Ormond Boulevard to Norco.

No start date has been fixed as of yet, but the $639,911.30 project is alsoscheduled to last 45 days.

Two other projects are on the books to begin in a matter of months but are awaiting bids, Hansen said.

The first is an overlay of “Old 90” in Des Allemands, from the intersection with U.S. 90 to the old Bayou des Allemands bridge, and an overlay of U.S. 90from Boutte to the Jefferson Parish line, not including the project area of the Davis Diversion Project.

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