Revamp planned for bridge in Terrebonne

HOUMA, La. (AP) — A pontoon bridge in need of repairs will soon get a makeover, officials in Terrebonne Parish said.
The Courier reported (http://bit.ly/1i1dyWL) the bridge crosses the Houma Navigation Canal on Falgout Canal Road, and has been badly damaged by passing vessels.
Terrebonne Capital Projects Administrator Jeanne Bray says the pilings that stop boats from hitting the bridge are in poor shape.
The project to replace the winch system on the floating bridge is expected to cost about $2.5 million.
The design is complete, and the project should go out for bid by midyear, said Clay Breaux, the engineer in charge of the project.
Construction, which will include deepening of the waterway, should begin by the end of 2014.
"They're going to dredge the channel so they can get bigger boats," Breaux said.
Two cables run along the bottom of the bridge, one that holds it open and one that closes it, he said. The cables will be replaced with longer ones.
Public works manager Perry Blanchard said the bridge routinely undergoes small fixes.
"We do maintenance," he said. "We had to replace the cable a few weeks ago. We have a little issue on a winch. There was an issue with the hydraulics. That's what we normally do. It's just old."