Work to install a new lighting system on the Crescent City Connection will begin later today after a second round of bids led to a local contractor winning the right to complete the project.
DOTD spokesperson Daniel Gitlin says New Orleans-based Frischhertz Electric submitted the winning bid of nearly $21 million for the Crescent City Connection project.
"It's the same company who put up the beautiful lights on the Caesar's Superdome," Gitlin said. "The money's going to stay local. There's a lot of pride that's going into it."
Gitlin says it's only appropriate that the same company that lit the Superdome will be lighting the Crescent City Connection.
"As you look at the skyline at the city, it begins and ends with the Crescent City Connection and the Superdome," Gitlin said. "Now, we're going to have both of those structures lit up beautifully at night."
DOTD officials say the work associated with lighting the bridge shouldn't pose any problems for traffic.
"You won't notice any closures during rush hour times," Gitlin said.
According to Gitlin, the issue of lane closures forced DOTD to put out the project for a second bid.
"We didn't have any bidders when we went out to bid on this project," Gitlin said. "One of the contentions was that there were no permanent lane closures allowed in that agreement."
Now, installation crews will be allowed to close lanes during off-peak hours.
"You're going to notice that there's going to be, especially overnight and on the weekends, some lane closures," Gitlin said.
Gitlin refuted a claim that the contractor offered to light the bridge for free in exchange for putting a tourist photo booth at the top of the bridge.
"That's got to go down as urban legend," Gitlin said with a chuckle. "I am 99.99 percent sure that that is not accurate. I have never even heard of that arrangement."
Gitlin also says the project's expected completion date is early 2025.
