project start study area haracteristics€¦ · woodland highway (la 406) project start lapalco...

Replace Belle Chasse Tunnel and Bridge Stage 1 Environmental Assessment State Project No. 700-38-0108 • H.004791 • Federal Aid Project No. DE-3806(500) • RPC Contract No. BCTunnel

Wo

od

lan

d H

igh

way

Stonebridge

Fort St. Leon Springwood

Bayou Barriere CC

Meadowdale

Project End Schlief Drive, south of Woodland Highway (LA 406)

Project Start Lapalco Boulevard and Behrman Highway (LA 428)

Wal

l Bo

ule

vard

Population (est): ..................................... 13,613 (2010 Census)

Total Population < 18 Years Old ..................................... 3,739 or 27.5%

Total Population 18-64 Years Old ................................... 8,482 or 62.3%

Total Population 65 Years and Older .............................. 1,399 or 10.3%

Total Minority Population .............................................. 5,717 or 42.0%

% of Study Area Population in Poverty ........................... 9.8%-23.7% in Jefferson Parish 10.0% in Plaquemines Parish

Housing Units (est): ................................... 5,019 (2010 Census)

Total Occupied Housing Units ........................................... 4,716 or 94%

Total Vacant Housing Units .................................................... 303 or 6%

Study Area Characteristics1

1—Data from US Census Bureau for Census Tracts which include the identified study area


Judge Perez Bridge Belle Chasse Tunnel Constructed in 1968

2,604 feet in length

40 feet of vertical clearance (down)

100 feet of vertical clearance (up)

125 feet of horizontal clearance

Tower height of 150 feet

Average 10 openings per day, 7 minute

operation time

Curfew during peak traffic periods

Constructed in 1956

800 feet in length

22 feet of horizontal clearance

14 feet, 3 inch vertical clearance

2015


Purpose Improve access to Plaquemines Parish for daily &

evacuation traffic with a reliable & efficient

GIWW crossing

Improve GIWW navigation by reducing marine

vessel delay;

Support opportunities for industrial growth;

Comply with fiscal constraint objectives;

Improve efficiency with lower Operations and

Maintenance (O&M) costs.

Need Traffic stoppage on LA 23 as a result of 10 regular

daily vessel openings @ 10 minutes each;

Eliminate unscheduled maintenance & repair

closures for both bridge & tunnel;

Improve vehicular & vessel hurricane evacuation

capacity, efficiency & reliability.

Improve daily traffic operations.


Marine Traffic Characteristics (2008/09)

Existing Bridge provides 40’ clearance when closed

and 135’ vertical clearance when open

On average, the bridge opens

3,660 times/ year

305 times/ month

10 times/ day

for 7 minutes at a time

It operates under open code ‘L’, meaning that it is closed to navigation, except for emergencies from

6:30 AM and 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM

Of the 12,500 vessels using the waterway annually, approximately 4,300 require an opening.*

Regional Clearances

1. Algiers Lock (75’ horizontal)

2. General DeGaulle Bridge (100’ vertical, 250’ horizontal)

3. Perez Bridge (Belle Chasse Bridge) and New Orleans and Gulf

Coast RR (40’ closed, 100’ open vertical, 125’ horizontal)

4. Overhead power cable (117’ vertical)

5. Overhead power cable (99’ vertical)

6. Crown Point Bridge (73’ vertical, 150’ horizontal)

Analysis completed using SYNCHRO 9 and HCS+ utilizing traffic data collected by Trigon Associates, 2012. Analyzed by Burk-Kleinpeter, Inc, 2016.

Vehicular Traffic Characteristics (2012-2015)

*Note: Multiple vessels can pass through during a single opening. Based upon Vessel Marine Study completed in

2008/2009.

Existing Level of Service (2012) Signalized Intersections Two Way Stop Sign Control (TWSC) Intersections

Observations Peak of traffic coincides with periods of arrival and dismissal at NAS/JRB New Orleans.

Heavy truck traffic averages 5-6% during peak hours

LA DOTD District 02 upgraded LA 23 signals in 2008 and installed a new signal at Dale Av in 2014/2015.

Non-motorized transportation

The tunnel’s pedestrian access remains' closed. Pedestrians can cross using the Judge Perez Bridge.

Bicycles are not permitted on existing bridge, must walk bikes across via pedestrian access

Sidewalks leading to and from Judge Perez Bridge are not complete.

Findings

The construction of a new movable bridge could

average in the following number of openings:

1%

54%

26%

8%

3% 3% 3% 2%

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

4500

5000

<39 40-44 45-49 50-54 55-59 60-64 65-69 70+

Height (feet)

Nu

mb

er

of

Ve

ss

els

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Pe

rcen

t

Vessel Heights of vessels requiring an opening, 2005-2007

Bridge Height Annual

Openings Monthly Openings

Daily Openings

50 feet 826 69 2.3

60 feet 324 27 0.9

70 feet 85 7 0.2


Number 4-Lane Alternatives

1 100 ft. Fixed Span Bridge at 5% Grade

2a 70 ft. Bascule Bridge at 5% Grade

2b 70 ft. Vertical Lift Bridge at 5% Grade



4A 73 ft. Fixed Span Bridge at 5%

4b 73 ft. Fixed Span Bridge at 6% Grade

5 100 ft. Fixed Span Bridge at 6% Grade





HB Preservation Alternative(s)

NB No Build Alternative

Number 6-Lane Alternatives

6A 73 ft. Fixed Span Bridge at 3% Grade

6B 73 ft. Fixed Span Bridge at 4% Grade

6C 73 ft. Fixed Span Bridge at 5% Grade

6D 73 ft. Fixed Span Bridge with Optimized Grade

to avoid relocating RR spur

Legend

Alternatives Still Under Consideration

Alternatives Eliminated with DOTD Consultation (5/15)

a

Bridge Alternatives

Disown (Relocate) Raise (Bay 2)

Demolish Raise (Reset Towers)

Rehabilitate Raise (Bay 2) & Renovate

Rehabilitate & Park up Raise (Reset Towers) & Renovate

Tunnel Alternatives

Disown (In Place)

Demolish/Fill

Rehabilitate

Alternatives

Improves Threats to Historic Integrity

Functional integrity

Traffic Capacity

Marine Traffic Major Minor

Disown (Relocate) -- -- YES -- YES

Demolish -- -- YES YES YES

Rehabilitate YES NO NO -- YES

Rehabilitate & Park up YES NO YES -- YES

Raise (Bay 2) YES NO YES MAYBE YES

Raise (Reset Towers) YES NO YES -- YES

Raise (Bay 2) & Renovate YES YES YES MAYBE YES

Raise (Reset Towers) & Renovate YES YES YES -- YES

Disown (In Place) -- -- -- -- --

Demolish & Fill -- -- -- YES YES

Rehabilitate YES NO RESTRICTS -- YES


LEGEND

Existing Judge Perez Bridge/Belle Chasse Tunnel

3% Slope Fixed Bridge



73 FT above

Intracoastal Waterway

6-Lane Cross Section at

Intracoastal Waterway 4-Lane Cross Section at

Intracoastal Waterway

LA 23: BARRIERE RD TO WOODLAND HWY. 406

LA 23: BARRIERE RD TO WOODLAND HWY. 406

Roadway Cross Sections


LEGEND Best apparent outcome Good outcome, but not the best Least positive outcome

Alternative1 Consistent

with Purpose and Need?

Potential Community Displacements Potential Costs Potential Traffic Operations Impacts

Potential Displacements (est)

Potential Road Closures (est)

Potential Visual Impacts

Initial Construction

Cost (Est)

Annual O&M Costs (Est)

Maritime Operations on

GIWW

AM Peak Direction Travel Time (AVG) (Lapalco

to Woodland SB)

PM Peak Direction Travel Time (AVG) (Woodland

to Lapalco NB)

No Build (Tunnel/Bridge)

NO NO CHANGE NO CHANGE NO CHANGE NO CHANGE NO CHANGE NO CHANGE 5 mins 20 secs

8 mins 46 secs.

Alternative 4A (4 lane, 5%)

YES +/- 5 Structures

Displaced 4 Roads Closed

1 Road Relocated Visually similar to

current bridge $121.9 Million

$11.0 Million

No Bridge Openings

Up to a 17% reduction in travel time


Alternative 6A (6 lane, 3%)



2 Roads Relocated

Increase in amount of

structure visible

$240.1 Million

$16.0 Million

No Bridge Openings


Up to a 19%reduction in travel time

Alternative 6B (6 lane, 4%)



2 Roads Relocated


structure visible

$206.2 Million

$14.0 Million

No Bridge Openings



Alternative 6C (6 lane, 5%)



2 Roads Relocated


structure visible

$170.0 Million

$12.0 Million

No Bridge Openings



1—using Alternatives as currently (2/2016) defined

As of 6/2/2016

project start study area haracteristics€¦ · woodland highway (la 406) project start lapalco...

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