By Kimberly Hopson
L’Observateur

LAPLACE –  The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District, opened the newly constructed bridge crossing at Highway 90 last week. The eastbound bridge opened to traffic on Thursday, April 18, followed by the westbound bridge on April 19.
Jeff Williams, senior project manager for the The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, said that the bridge is the final permanent structure to complete the Hurricane and Storm Risk Reduction System.    
“The new bridge will allow us to complete the final two 15-foot monoliths across U.S. Highway 90. The bridge-over-floodwall approach provides the ability to have a permanent floodwall in
place without ever affecting traffic during a weather event, as U.S. Highway 90 is a major evacuation route,” said Williams.
The Western Tie-In, part of the West Bank and Vicinity Project, reduces the risk associated with a storm surge event that has a 1 percent chance of occurring in any given year. The total construction value of the WTI project is an estimated $140 million.
Williams said that the final monoliths for the project are scheduled to be installed by May 27. The project is due for completion by late summer 2013.