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The new Biloxi Bay Bridge has received national recognition for its rapid reconstruction, while the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) has been hailed for its efficient project management and innovative approach in reconnecting communities along the Mississippi Gulf Coast in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The Biloxi Bay
Bridge was honored with the Award of Excellence for Project Management
during the recently-held Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Excellence
in Highway Design Awards Program. After the original structure was
destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, Biloxi and Ocean Springs commuters faced a
30-minute detour to get from one community to the other. The new,
much-improved structure was rebuilt in less than 21
Throughout the United States, only 10 transportation projects were honored by the FHWA with the Award of Excellence, which recognizes creative and innovative transportation projects that are aesthetically pleasing, and sensitive to their environmental surroundings. Public safety is also a major consideration. “Rapidly reconnecting the communities of Biloxi and Ocean Springs was only one of the mandates MDOT set for itself in the days after Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast,” said Larry L. “Butch” Brown, MDOT’s executive director. “By awarding a design-build contract for the rebuilding effort, which allowed much of the necessary work to be accomplished simultaneously, MDOT set a standard for efficient project management and ensured that the project remained on-budget. We also brought to the Coast a taller, wider, beautiful new Biloxi Bay Bridge, along with a 12-foot shared-use pathway for walkers, runners, and bikers. This bridge, along with its ‘sister’ project—the new Bay of St. Louis Bridge—represent tremendous strides toward its overall mission of reconnecting and revitalizing the communities along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.” Brown applauded
the team of contractors and designers who worked to get the bridge
reconstructed in record “By working hand-in-hand with these firms, MDOT was able to put this project on the fast track, while at the same time ensuring the highest quality-control standards for the new Biloxi Bay Bridge,” he said. “The combined effort of all the participating agencies and firms is reflected by the FHWA’s Award of Excellence.” The new 1.6-mile Biloxi Bay Bridge carries three lanes of traffic in each direction, east and west, from Ocean Springs to Biloxi. In addition to its shared-use pathway, the bridge features three overlook areas, and a dual-lighting design that makes an elegant aesthetic statement at nightfall. In addition to the FHWA honor, the Biloxi Bay Bridge received the Innovative Management Award from the Southeastern Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.
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months,
and its six lanes were opened to traffic approximately 45 days ahead of
schedule on November 1, 2007.
time. GC Constructors served as the design-build contractor for the
project. Volkert and Associates was responsible for quality control, and
Parsons Transportation Group served as the prime designer.