Financial close achieved on new Calcasieu River Bridge Project

Plenary Americas and its Calcasieu Bridge Partners (CBP) consortium have reached financial close on the $2.3 billion Interstate 10 Calcasieu River Bridge project which will connect the towns of Lake Charles and Westlake in Louisiana.

The current I-10 Calcasieu River Bridge is more than 70 years old and predates the interstate system. Unlike most modern bridges, it is narrow, has steep approach grades and lacks shoulders and lighting. The new bridge will be less steep, have additional lanes, full shoulders and roadway lighting, providing the residents of Southwest Louisiana with a modern, safe, and more reliable bridge across the Calcasieu River.

Specifically, the scope of the project includes:

• Design and construction of a new eight-lane bridge over the Calcasieu River with three travel lanes and one auxiliary lane in each direction.
• Modification and relocation of existing roadways and interchanges.
• Demolition and removal of the existing Calcasieu River Bridge once traffic is transferred to the new bridge.
• Operations and maintenance of the new bridge and associated roadway for 50 years.
• Roadside and back-office systems for toll revenue collection that is interoperable with existing LA tolling systems and the Central States US Hub.
• Tolling operations, including a customer service center.

The project will be financed through both public and private sources. The State of Louisiana will contribute close to US$1.2 billion during construction while the long-term financing includes US$1.33 billion in tax-exempt Private Activity Bonds. Private capital will be repaid over the concession with toll revenues.

CBP will now begin the design-build phase of the project, with construction expected to begin in 2026 and be completed in 2031.

Members of the CBP team include:

• Lead developer and equity member: Plenary Americas
• Equity members: ACCIONA and Sacyr
• Design-Build Joint Venture: ACCIONA and Sacyr
• Tolling Operator: Kapsch
• Operations & Maintenance: Plenary Americas, ACCIONA and Sacyr

The Louisiana Department of Transportation & Development news release can be found here.