Paris Road Bridge Vessel Collision Study

The Paris Road Bridge, or “Green Bridge” as it is known to locals, crosses the 650-ft wide Gulf Outlet just to the east of New Orleans. To evaluate the threat from vessel collision, The Louisiana Department of Transportation needed up-to-date information on the geometry and actual hull draft of ships passing under the bridge. 

 

Modjeski and Masters (M&M) previously evaluated the Paris Road Bridge for the risk of vessel collision in 1994. Our resulting recommendations at that time included monitoring of the site conditions for any potential changes. For this latest effort, M&M reevaluated the bridge to document changes from river bottom scouring. We also surveyed current vessel sizes and operating speeds. Next, our knowledgeable team used this data to assess the risk of vessel collision and determine the probability of pier collapse. M&M then developed recommendations for pier protection and vessel collision prevention measures.