• Client

  Lafayette Consolidated Government

• Division

  Engineering

• Scope

  Roadway Design, Utility Relocation, Construction Inspection

• Completion

  2019

The 1.4-mile stretch of East Pont des Mouton Road between I-49 and Louisiana Avenue in Lafayette, LA. The roadway is an arterial roadway connecting major thoroughfares for the City of Lafayette. It experienced growth in average daily traffic from approximately 2,700 vehicles in 1997 to approximately 12,600 vehicles in 2012, according to the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. Businesses, shopping centers, churches, a major recreational park, and the LA State Police Troop I Headquarters are congregated throughout the corridor. The project included intersection design for three major intersections: I-49, Moss Street, and Louisiana Avenue.

The project was designed and constructed in two subsequent phases:

• The relocation of water and sewer utilities including the upgrade of an undersized wastewater lift station to a major lift station capable of flowing 2.0 million gallons per day (MGD).
• The conversion of a two-lane asphalt roadway with open ditches and no sidewalks to a four-lane concrete roadway with subsurface drainage, 5’ wide sidewalks, and a boulevard.

Utility Relocation

The project initially began with the relocation of water and sewer utilities throughout the project corridor. The utility design involved locating all water mains, fire hydrants, water service meters, sewer mains and services, sewer manholes, and the wastewater lift station outside of the footprint of the proposed five-lane roadway. The water improvements included replacing 6” and 8” water mains with 12” water mains throughout the corridor, all new water meters for businesses and residents, and fire hydrants placed for optimal fire protection. The sanitary sewer portion of this project entailed the design and installation of over 8,000 cumulative feet of 8”, 15”, 18”, 21”, and 24” gravity sewer mains, 1,500 feet of 10” force main, and the 2 MGD lift station.

Roadway and Drainage

Due to the increase in traffic and projected population growth in the City of Lafayette, road widening was essential in handling the projected capacity of local transportation. C. H. Fenstermaker & Associates, L.L.C. was selected to perform engineering design services to convert the two-lane asphalt roadway with steep open ditches and no sidewalks, to a five-lane, concrete roadway with a landscaped boulevard, lighting, and curb and gutter subsurface drainage system. The subsurface drainage included the installation of approximately 14,300 feet of reinforced concrete pipe (RCP), including 1,400 feet of 84” RCP, 14,000 linear feet of 5’ wide sidewalk, and retaining walls to preserve businesses and residents. A unique aspect of the project was the preservation of three heritage-class live oak trees dating over one hundred years of age. A careful, meditated design of the roadway, sidewalk system, and retaining walls adjacent to the live oak trees was delicately implemented to ensure their healthy livelihood.

Fenstermaker also provided construction inspection services that included construction oversight and documentation of drainage installations, utility installations, and roadway construction of portland cement concrete paving. This involved construction supervision of installations of concrete structures for both drainage and wastewater features. It was also comprised of the construction of new, concrete driveways for commercial and residential properties along the East Pont Des Mouton Roadway corridor.

ACEC of Louisiana Engineering Excellence Award Winner – 2020

The Pont des Mouton Road project was awarded the 2020 American Council of Engineering Companies of Louisiana (ACEC-L) Engineering Excellence Awards’ Grand Award for Category H: Transportation.

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