State highway office defends fast-track Highway 36 bridge rebuild, pledges barricades to curb detour traffic
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Summary
Archie Jaison, executive director of the Office of Louisiana Highway Construction, told the St. Tammany Parish Council the LA 36 bridge was delivered quickly as part of a 62‑bridge program and that large Type 3 barricades and 'local traffic only' signs will be installed at the Highway 36/Horseshoe Island Road intersection to reduce detour traffic.
Archie Jaison, executive director of the Office of Louisiana Highway Construction, told the St. Tammany Parish Council on April 9 that the state office accelerated work on the LA 36 bridge as part of a legislative package of 62 bridges and moved the project from concept to traffic in roughly 103 days.
"We took a bridge from concept on a piece of paper to actually put traffic on it, tomorrow in about 135 days," Jaison said, describing the office’s use of precast elements and private engineering teams to speed delivery. He said the program gives the office emergency procurement powers that allow faster contracting than traditional DOTD processes.
The presentation prompted sustained questions from council members about detour traffic on Horseshoe Island Road. Jaison acknowledged residents’ concerns and said crews had already moved detour signage to try to keep through‑traffic off the local road. He said the contractor agreed to install two large Type 3 barricades bearing "local traffic only — no detour route" at the intersection of Highway 36 and Horseshoe Island Road and that those barricades should be in place the following Monday.
"They’re gonna have some big signs on it that say local traffic only, no detour route," Jaison said, adding that spacing and physical width should deter large concrete trucks and other commercial vehicles that have been using the short cut.
Council members and residents said the short cut has seen large spikes in volume and speed after the bridge closure, raising safety concerns on a narrow, winding road with limited shoulders. A parish official told the council the parish had spent about $41,000 to maintain the alternate parish road that has been used by diverted traffic.
Jaison said the state is discussing additional measures — including short‑term enforcement during peak hours — with local law enforcement but cautioned that moving a full policing detail 24/7 would be difficult without resource commitments. He also pointed council members to an online project viewer and the office’s contact page for construction updates.
The council adopted an off‑the‑floor resolution asking state delegation help with traffic mitigation and emergency traffic assistance for the Horseshoe Island Road corridor.
