Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao has formally announced the award of a $45 million Infrastructure for Rebuilding America grant to the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. The grant will be used for the Belle Chasse Bridge and Tunnel Replacement project. The funding is provided through the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) discretionary grant program.
Secretary Chao was joined by Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy to announce the grant.
“I thank Secretary Chao for coming to New Orleans and making these projects possible,” said Dr. Cassidy. “We discussed with local leaders the enhancements we can make at our ports, and the grant for the Belle Chasse Tunnel and Replacement Project that will improve access to Plaquemines Parish, Belle Chasse air station, and businesses along Highway 23.”
The project will replace a more than 60-year-old reinforced-concrete tunnel and the adjacent structural steel vertical-lift-span bridge crossing the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. The replacement bridge will be a single mid-level fixed-span four-lane facility built to current standards. The new bridge will also include a separate protected pedestrian/bicycle lane.
