Arcadis for Calcasieu Bridge replacement work

Replacement of the 70-year-old Calcasieu River Bridge in the US state of Louisiana will revive a connection between the cities of Lake Charles and Westlake.
By David Arminas June 12, 2025 Read time: 2 mins
The 2km-long Calcasieu River Bridge, opened in 1952, is an arched cantilever, rivet-connected Warren through truss for the main span located on Interstate 10 between Lake Charles and Westlake (image © Typhoonski/Dreamstime)

Arcadis has been appointed to support the design work for the I-10 Calcasieu Bridge Improvements Project in the US state of Louisiana.

The replacement of the 70-year-old Calcasieu River Bridge will revive a vital connection between the Louisiana cities of Lake Charles and Westlake. With a project cost valued at US$2.3 billion, the Calcasieu Design Partners will upgrade a crucial 9km stretch of I-10, delivering enhancements to improve safety, connectivity and sustainability.

The 2km-long Calcasieu River Bridge, opened in 1952, is an arched cantilever, rivet-connected Warren through truss for the main span located on Interstate 10 between Lake Charles and Westlake. “The Calcasieu River Bridge has served the region for 70 years, but as it nears the end of its lifespan, the need for intelligent, modern and sustainable solutions is more critical than ever,” said Alan Brookes, chief executive of Arcadis.

Arcadis is working as part of a joint venture with Janssen and Spaans Engineering, Modjeski and Masters as well as Huval and Associates – collectively known as the Calcasieu Design Partner. The team will support Louisiana Bridge Builders, a construction joint venture between Arcadis’ key client Acciona and Sacyr Construction.

The project is overseen by the concessionaire, Calcasieu Bridge Partners (Acciona, Sacyr and Plenary), in collaboration with the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, also a key client of Arcadis.

Over eight years, Arcadis’ will update existing interchanges and roadways. Pulling on expertise from across North America, the Netherlands and the company’s Global Excellence Centers in India, Romania and the Philippines, Arcadis will deliver a range of specialised intelligent mobility, engineering and design services.

These include traffic engineering, including the development of a transportation management plan and the design of permanent signage, signals and pavement markings. There will be structural design work for sign support structures, roadway and drainage as well as bridge design for the I-10/I-210 flyover ramp and hydraulic modeling for the main span bridge.

Highway & Network Management

Related Content

  • VIDEO: Broadway Bridge defies demolition experts, for a time
    October 12, 2016
    A 100-year old steel arch bridge in the United States stood firm for a time against the blasts laid down by demolition experts.

    The structure connected the cities of Little Rock and North Little Rock in the state of Arkansas. It carried U.S. Route 70 but was finally closed on 28 September.

    Although Broadway Bridge, spanning the Arkansas River, was built almost a century ago, the steel arches were added 60 years later as part of a strengthening project to the under-structure to widen the river navigation channel.
    Read More
  • Book highlights infrastructure need for US
    November 17, 2015
    A new book by US domestic policy expert James P Pinkerton reveals that investing in transportation infrastructure will build America’s economic strength. In A Vision of American Strength: How Transportation Infrastructure Built the United States, Pinkerton observes that “the history of civilisation is the history of infrastructure.” He explains how societies have flourished as they developed better roads and other transportation systems. Pinkerton details how transport infrastructure fuelled the growth of
    Read More
  • Transylvania Motorway: route to prosperity
    July 4, 2012
    Work is progressing apace on the biggest infrastructure project in Europe, the Transylvania Motorway or Autostrada Transilvania (A3) in Romania, with completion scheduled for 2013. The four-lane, 415km motorway, stretching northwest from Brasov in central Romania, at an altitude of nearly 600m, will reach the country's northwestern border with Hungary at Oradea in Câmpia Crisanei at 130m above sea level, and will connect the cities of Brasov, Fagaras, Sighisoara, Târgu Mures, Cluj-Napoca, Zalau and Oradea.
    Read More
  • Smart motorway project for UK’s M3
    July 23, 2014
    Balfour Beatty is to work on a €163.5 million (£129 million) upgrade project for a 21.4km stretch of the M3 motorway in the UK. The work involves upgrading the route to smart motorway status and is being carried out for the UK Government’s Highways Agency. This project will increase capacity, reduce congestion and shorten journey times for the 120,000 motorists/day using the route. This section of the motorway runs through the counties of Hampshire and Surrey, between Junction 2 which is interchange with th
    Read More

Highlighted Content