Businesses already competing to build new I-10 Calcasieu River Bridge

Sulphur, LA (KPLC) - Contractors, designers, and others competing for the I-10 bridge build have formed a group to develop a winning proposal for a new bridge.

They held a community outreach event at the West Cal Arena to give local businesses a chance to participate. The event focused on Disadvantaged Business Enterprises and Minority & Women-owned Businesses.

At last word, the price tag for a new I-10 Calcasieu River Bridge was about $1.5 billion. Companies are competing to get the project, including IXB Bridge Group.

Tom Madison is the IXB Developer’s project manager.

“This is coming. The project is coming. It’s not going to be this year. It may not be until late next year when decisions are made. Because of all the complexities sometimes the dates slide, but it’s going to happen,” said Madison.

He said it’s a good time to consider if your business can participate.

“There’s a lot of opportunities for local businesses you don’t necessarily think of while watching a quick news segment about this project that’s going to happen. We were just talking to folks about the underwater aspects of this. We have people here today that represent the diving industry because we’ll need scuba divers, we’ll need people who are geologists to deal with the subsurface the group held what they call a community outreach event to allow local businesses a chance to find out the opportunities that are coming and how to participate,” said Madison.

Norman Roussell is a supply diversity consultant.

“So, what we’re here to do is help small minority, women-owned firms who are certified or not yet certified get in position so they can participate in this project. What that entails is helping them get their certification, helping them alter their certification so that their codes match opportunities for the project,” said Roussell.

Bridgette Coleman owns Coleman’s Consulting Group, which she hopes can be part of the project.

“They are looking for staffing, and my company would serve that need, support that need in that I do have the capacity to support staffing at any level,” she said.

It’s a long process and there is no final design in place, but the competition is underway.

The state has not yet begun advertising for proposals to build the bridge. A look at the shortlist of other companies interested is here.

Copyright 2023 KPLC. All rights reserved.