DOT presenters brief Lake Charles council on $2.3 billion Kaukashu bridge project and traffic impacts

Patricia Prebula, public information manager for the Kaukashu Bridge project, told the City of Lake Charles council the privately financed $2.3 billion project is a public–private partnership with the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LA DOTD) as owner and Kauashu Bridge Partners as developer. "They are the owner and will remain the owner of the new bridge upon completion," Prebula said as she outlined the project organization and partners.

Seth Woods, a DOTD district engineer/administrator, described ongoing utility relocation and foundation work tied to the new I‑10 alignment and a planned I‑10/210 flyover reconstruction. He said more than 700 pile foundations have been installed in the alignment and concrete pours are underway. "We've been at it for about six months now," Woods said, and he added that if the schedule holds the existing crash beam should be removed in October.

Woods and other presenters outlined several traffic impacts. Short‑term night moves will deliver large prefabricated pipe‑rack modules to the site after 10 p.m., with police escorts and partial lane closures during the moves. A longer closure of Horseshoe Boulevard is planned from July 31 to Aug. 24, and staff said they have coordinated with a school on the detour route and will release press notices seven days before the closures.

Council members asked which costs are part of the developer contract and which remain a DOTD responsibility. The presenters said the developer is designing and building the bridges and delivery system, but DOTD retained responsibility for some utility relocations — including the Phillips 66 pipe‑rack work — and those costs are not part of the developer’s delivery obligations. "That is separate; that is a DOTD retained cost, expense and risk," one presenter said.

Sean Lynn, commercial and stakeholder director for Louisiana Bridge Builders (the design–build contractor), said the project is already sourcing local firms: "So far we've spent about $98 million locally," he told the council, adding roughly $145 million has gone to regional suppliers. Lynn encouraged small and minority‑owned businesses to register on the project site and said the team will share procurement opportunities.

City and parish staff said they will continue to issue public notices and traffic advisories as the project schedule is refined. The presentation included renderings and a map of the work areas; no final construction milestones were adopted by the council at the meeting.