Plenary achieves commercial close for new Calcasieu River Bridge project in Louisiana

Plenary’s Calcasieu Bridge Partners team is thrilled to announce it has achieved commercial close with the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LaDOTD) on the $2.1 billion Interstate 10 Calcasieu River Bridge project.

The existing bridge over the Calcasieu River is part of Interstate 10 in Louisiana, which connects the towns of Lake Charles and Westlake. The current infrastructure is more than 70 years old and is unable to meet the needs of current traffic volumes.

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.
• 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.

Members of the Calcasieu Bridge Partners 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

“Plenary Americas and the Calcasieu Bridge Partners consortium is excited to be working with Governor Landry and his team to deliver the new Interstate 10 Calcasieu River Bridge in Lake Charles. The new bridge will improve safety and reliability for travelers along the corridor and will provide opportunities for economic growth in the Southwest Louisiana region,” said Brian Budden, President & CEO of Plenary Americas.

In the coming months, LaDOTD and the Calcasieu Bridge Partners team will work toward reaching financial close. Notice to Proceed is expected to occur in spring 2024 and construction of the new bridge is anticipated to be complete by 2031.

The Interstate 10 Calcasieu River Bridge will be Plenary Americas’ second P3 project in the state of Louisiana, furthering the company’s commitment to investing in the State’s infrastructure plan. Plenary is nearing completion on the Belle Chasse Bridge and Tunnel Replacement Project in Plaquemines Parish which is set to be complete and fully open to traffic in spring 2024.