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
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
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
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
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.
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
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
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
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
3a 60 ft. Bascule Bridge at 5% Grade
3b 60 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
6a 70 ft. Bascule Bridge at 6% Grade
6b 70 ft. Vertical Lift Bridge at 6% Grade
7a 60 ft. Bascule Bridge at 6% Grade
7b 60 ft. Vertical Lift 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
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
LEGEND
Existing Judge Perez Bridge/Belle Chasse Tunnel
3% Slope Fixed Bridge
4% Slope Fixed Bridge
5% 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
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
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
Up to a 59% reduction in travel time
Alternative 6A (6 lane, 3%)
YES +/- 88 Structures
Displaced 8 Roads Closed
2 Roads Relocated
Increase in amount of
structure visible
$240.1 Million
$16.0 Million
No Bridge Openings
Up to a 17% reduction in travel time
Up to a 19%reduction in travel time
Alternative 6B (6 lane, 4%)
YES +/- 66 Structures
Displaced 5 Roads Closed
2 Roads Relocated
Increase in amount of
structure visible
$206.2 Million
$14.0 Million
No Bridge Openings
Up to a 14%reduction in travel time
Up to a 22%reduction in travel time
Alternative 6C (6 lane, 5%)
YES +/- 60 Structures
Displaced 4 Roads Closed
2 Roads Relocated
Increase in amount of
structure visible
$170.0 Million
$12.0 Million
No Bridge Openings
Up to a 20%reduction in travel time
Up to a 61% reduction in travel time
1—using Alternatives as currently (2/2016) defined
As of 6/2/2016