I-49: Judson Walsh Interchange LTG. (OPEL)

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LA DOTD) is soliciting electronic bids for drilled shaft foundations, roadway lighting, and related work on the I-49 Judson Walsh Interchange lighting project (State Project No. H.014557), due November 18, 2026 before 10:00 a.m. through www.bidx.com, with bid bonds submitted through the same portal. Online bidder registration through www.dotd.la.gov is required before submission. The winning bidder must hold a Louisiana electrical contractor license under Louisiana Revised Statutes 37:2150-2165, Electrical classification. No DBE/SBE goal is set for this project, though contractors must meet general DBE/SBE participation obligations.

The work covers 1.482 miles of Interstate 49 between Bayou Callahan Bridge and Jean Kayla Boulevard. The project is federally funded under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and must comply with Build America, Buy America (BABA) requirements, under which all iron, steel, and manufactured products must be produced in the United States unless a waiver is granted. Lane closures on Judson Walsh and I-49 are restricted to 8:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., seven days a week, with no work during specified holiday periods and hurricane-related operations. Electronic payroll submission through AASHTOWare Civil Rights & Labor Software is mandatory. The contract includes an on-the-job training component with an estimated two trainee positions and 2,000 trainee hours.

Pricing is unit-price based, with payment adjustments for Performance Graded asphalt cements, gasoline, diesel fuel, and steel under Section 109.9 when costs vary more than 5 percent from established base prices. The estimated cost range is $1,000,000 to $2,500,000, and the actual estimate will be published at bid opening. The completion period is 175 working days, plus an assembly period of 200 calendar days before contract time is assessed. Contractors must carry Workers Compensation, Commercial General Liability, Owner's and Contractor's Protective, and Business Automobile Liability coverage, with combined single limits tied to the initial contract amount. The OCP premium may be submitted for reimbursement without markup.

The project engineer is Charles Descant, and the project manager is Nicholas Grass. The solicitation's jurisdiction field lists St. James Parish, while the attached proposal describes the project as located in St. Landry Parish.