Award Winner: Large Project – Innovative Management | |
Biloxi Bay Bridge Project Biloxi and Ocean Springs, MS “The speed at which this project was accomplished and the context sensitive solutions that were used in its design and construction are unmatched.” |
Hurricane Katrina destroyed the 1.6-mile Biloxi Bay Bridge linking Biloxi and Ocean Springs. Mississippi DOT consulted with colleagues in Florida and South Carolina, the Federal Highway Administration, and the Design/Build Institute of America to put together a $338 million design/build contract to expedite reconstruction of this critical link along the Gulf Coast. MDOT waived some standard requirements to let the bridge rebuilding proceed as rapidly as possible. Construction began in June 2006 and the entire new bridge — widened from four to six traffic lanes, adding a 12-foot-wide pedestrian/bicycle lane, and eliminating a draw — opened in April 2008.