This year marks two decades since the completion of the Florida Avenue Bridge, a project that redefined marine traffic in New Orleans and still stands as an example of resilient infrastructure.
Completed in 2005, this 352-foot vertical lift span replaced an aging 1920s Strauss trunnion bascule bridge over the Inner Harbor-Navigation Canal (IH-NC). Designed by Modjeski and Masters for the Port of New Orleans and built by American Bridge Company, the new structure dramatically expanded the horizontal clearance from 93 feet to 300 feet — eliminating a long-standing marine traffic bottleneck and making way for ocean-going vessels. It also added a 156-foot vertical lift and now supports railroad, vehicle, and pedestrian traffic.
But behind the specifications, the Florida Avenue Bridge is a story of strategic planning, engineering innovation, and resilience.
“The bridge replacement required many stages of complex construction sequences to maintain the in-service marine, rail, roadway, and pedestrian traffic as much as possible,” recalls Ralph Eppehimer, Director of Field Services and engineer on the project. “We also had to maintain and replace floodwalls and floodgates at the site for hurricane protection.”
The bridge was built on a parallel alignment to the original structure, a critical decision that allowed the team to keep traffic flowing. Foundations and towers were constructed while the original bridge remained operational. Then, the new lift span was assembled on a barge and floated into place between the towers, connected to its counterweights, and made operational during a short marine closure.
“At that point, both bridges had to be manned and operated in a synchronized manner to allow marine vessels to pass,” Ralph explains. “Only after all traffic had been successfully rerouted to the new span could the original bridge be demolished.”
Then came the ultimate test: Hurricane Katrina. Just months after the bridge’s final inspection and acceptance, Katrina hit — and the Florida Avenue Bridge stood strong amidst the city’s worst flooding.
“Looking back, I have a great sense of appreciation for all of the effort of so many to complete this bridge replacement,” Ralph says. “From the planners and designers, the owners and regulatory agencies and the railroads, to the onsite construction management team and the contractors and their subcontractors, it was a true team effort.”
Today, the bridge continues to serve freight, rail, vehicles, and pedestrians — just as it was designed to do. Its impact is still felt daily by those who cross and navigate beneath it.
From design to delivery — and even through Hurricane Katrina — the Florida Avenue Bridge exemplifies the kind of meaningful infrastructure Modjeski and Masters is proud to lead and be part of. Thanks to all the hard-working teams who make projects like this successful!
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