The long-awaited interchange at Interstate 12 and Louisiana Highway 1088 is finally underway and the processing of bids received will begin immediately.

The interchange will be a major factor in traffic and development near Lakeshore High School and La. 1088, Parish President Kevin Davis said.

Congressman Steve Scalise, who helped speed up the permit process, said the process has taken a long time with a lot of red tape, but the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has signed off on the project and the bid process has begun.

The bridge over Interstate 12 on Louisiana Highway 1088 will be integrated into a new interchange at the intersection, due to be completed in the spring of 2011. Construction should begin in about three months. (Staff Photo by Debbie Glover)

“We are excited the project is finally underway. The Corps was the red tape holding up the project,” Scalise said. “We had a number of meetings to determine the issues. The Corps had a problem with wetland mitigation and then said the transportation counts did not justify the road,” said Scalise.

He added that anyone driving in St. Tammany knows more road infrastructure is needed. “This is a very important project to provide a safe access route to the newly opened Lakeshore High School,” he said.

He said a face-to-face meeting that included U.S. Senator David Vitter, St. Tammany Parish President Kevin Davis, St. Tammany Parish School Superintendent Gayle Sloan, state Sen. Jack Donahue, members of the Corps and the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development was held to discuss the problems.

At the meeting traffic counts from Davis were introduced and the mitigation issue settled so the roadway could proceed.

Scalise said he checked on paperwork daily with the Corps to make certain it did not fall between the cracks and get lost.

“I was in daily contact with the Corps to fast track the project. It was wonderful to be able to finally get it to the DOTD,” said Scalise. “It is very encouraging that we got the Corps to issue the permit.”

Sloan was happy that the interchange was going forward, because it meant easier access to Lakeshore High.

“We are pleased the Corps of Engineers has issued the necessary permit to move forward on the 1088 interchange project,” Sloan said. “This is a result of our local, parish, and state officials working together for a good result.”

This spring, the St. Tammany Parish School Board passed a resolution stating that Lakeshore High School, $50 million project, was built in that locale because the interchange was expected to be finished by the school’s opening. Instead, the school is open and construction on the interchange has yet to begin.

Lakeshore High School Principal Brennan McCurley said, “We’re glad it’s underway. It will make the school more accessible and more people will come and visit. It will also cut travel time, obviously a plus for us.”

McCurley said that thus far, about four students are driving to school, but this number is due to increase as more sophomores reach driving age.

DOTD officials said Wednesday that the bids were sent out, and so far the lowest bid to come in was Barriere Construction, LLC of Metairie with a bid of $12,167,09.90. Estimated construction costs were $16 million.

The DOTD will award the contract after reviewing all bids received, a process that will take three to four weeks.

Officials said that construction would start one to two months later with an estimated 13 months to build the interchange.

A completed interchange should usher in the 2011-2012 school year with completion in spring of 2011.