BATON ROUGE — The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) has officially transferred oversight of its ambitious bridge bundling program to the newly created Office of Louisiana Highway Construction, a move aimed at accelerating the replacement and rehabilitation of aging bridges across the state.
The program represents one of the state’s most significant infrastructure initiatives in years, grouping dozens of bridges into coordinated construction packages to maximize efficiency, cut costs, and shorten project timelines. DOTD recently issued a Notice of Intent (NOI) for three bundling packages that together will address 62 bridges statewide.
“Collaboration and partnership with the new Office of Louisiana Highway Construction ensures this work can begin sooner,” said DOTD Secretary Glenn Ledet. “Our collaborative approach marks a transformational shift in how Louisiana delivers critical infrastructure projects. It reflects the team effort envisioned by Governor Landry and the state legislators, with the Office of Louisiana Highway Construction utilizing its emergency contracting authority to address the urgent needs of the state and DOTD providing support and oversight to ensure all federal standards are met.”
The Office of Louisiana Highway Construction was established by Act No. 389 during the 2025 Legislative Session. It is led by Executive Director Archie Chaisson III, who is tasked with reimagining project delivery, privatizing certain functions, and overseeing the creation, maintenance, and repair of nonfederal state highways.
“This initiative reflects exactly why the Office of Louisiana Highway Construction was created,” said Chaisson. “Working with DOTD, we can move projects forward faster, address critical infrastructure needs and deliver long-term improvements that benefit communities across Louisiana.”
By using its emergency contracting authority, the office can accelerate the procurement process, a tool that officials say will help Louisiana overcome years of deferred maintenance and limited funding.
Out of the 62 bridges identified for work, seven projects have been prioritized for replacement or rehabilitation:
These projects will serve as a proving ground for the bundling approach, which is expected to streamline engineering, design, permitting, and construction under one umbrella.
The bridge bundling program is a cornerstone of DOTD’s Transforming Transportation initiative, a statewide push to modernize Louisiana’s infrastructure through performance-based, cost-efficient solutions. By packaging projects, DOTD and the Highway Construction Office aim to avoid repetitive costs, reduce delays, and attract larger, more competitive bids from contractors.
The collaboration also comes as Louisiana faces mounting infrastructure needs. Nearly 13% of the state’s bridges are classified as structurally deficient, placing Louisiana among the states with the highest share of aging bridges. Officials argue that without innovative delivery methods like bundling, it could take decades to catch up.
Supporters say this initiative represents a historic step toward breaking that cycle. The alignment of DOTD oversight with the Highway Office’s new contracting tools could make Louisiana a national model for infrastructure delivery if successful.
Originally reported by AN 17 Local News.
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