I-10 Bridge in Mississippi Restored Ahead of Schedule

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he Interstate 10 bridge in Pascagoula, Miss., reopened to four lanes of traffic, 20 days after a barge battered the bridge’s eastbound span during Hurricane Katrina, Department of Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta said Saturday.

The bridge was not scheduled to open until mid-October, but Mineta said a flexible contract that contained an incentive clause helped get the repairs done quickly.

The bridge was repaired in record time thanks to a flexible bidding process and incentives in the contract," he said.

T.L. Wallace Construction in Columbia, Miss., won the $5.2 million contract and restored normal, two-lane traffic in each direction well ahead of schedule, resulting in a $1 million bonus for early completion of the job.

Damage from Katrina had closed the eastbound span, causing traffic backups with only one lane open in each direction on the westbound span.