347 upgrade, bridge, roundabout in works

Work on two long delayed road improvements should resume within the next month, according to Deidra Druilhet, public information officer with the Lafayette office of the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development.
The reconstruction of La. 347/Resweber Hwy between St. Martinville and Parks was originally set to begin a year ago. But during pre-construction surveys, it was discovered that a natural gas distribution line operated by CenterPoint Energy was located close to areas of the planned work and would have to be moved.
That work resulted in a delay that would have caused the road reconstruction to extend into the sugarcane harvest season and it was decided not to begin the project until this spring.
Druilhet estimated that construction should begin around April 10.
Replacement of the old one-lane bridge across Bayou Alexandre at the West Atchafalya Protection Levee was halted due to the threat of high water on the Mississippi River last Spring that had the U.S. Corps of Engineers considering the possibility of opening the Morganza Spillway. Corps officials ordered a halt to pile driving along the entire levee right-of-way.
But when work resumed after the flood threat passed, the construction company found that the pilings ordered for the job were not long enough. Druilhet said the company, Gilchrist Construction Co. LLC, is awaiting delivery of new piles. Completion of the new bridge is currently estimated for September.
Finally, the DOTD official said construction bids for a roundabout planned at the intersection of La. 31/Main Hwy and La. 92/Smede Hwy just south of St. Martinville should go out to prospective contractors in May.