Globalplex Access Bridge
Length of Bridge
1,100 Feet
Location
St. John the Baptist Parish, LA
Owner
Port of South Louisiana
Industry
status
Completed in 2025
Securing Louisiana’s Gateway to Global Commerce
The Port of South Louisiana is one of the largest and busiest ports in the United States — a economic engine that moves goods connecting Louisiana to the world. But a single point of access to a port of that scale isn’t just an inconvenience. It’s a vulnerability. RNGD was selected to build the Globalplex Access Bridge, a 1,100-foot secondary access span stretching from the Globalplex facility off River Road, over the Mississippi River Levee, and connecting to the existing dock. The 24-foot wide structure accommodates the heavy trucks and equipment that keep port operations moving, giving the port the redundancy it needs to keep operating at full capacity. The new crossing supports long-term industrial growth and ensures the river parishes have the infrastructure to match their ambition.
Building on the Mississippi’s Schedule
Every construction project has a clock. This one had a river. Work on the Globalplex Access Bridge had to stop completely any time the Mississippi reached +11 feet — and during peak flood season in March and May, water levels can surge as high as +15 feet, shutting down operations for weeks at a time. RNGD responded not with a fixed schedule, but with a dynamic one. The team built real-time water level monitoring into daily operations and developed multiple construction scenarios that could be activated or stood down as river conditions changed. When the river dropped, the team was ready to move fast. When it rose, materials, equipment, and crews were efficiently demobilized to minimize standby costs and downtime.
Regulatory complexity added another layer. Any permit, variance, or waiver from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers — who manage the levee system — can take up to five months to process. RNGD got ahead of it through proactive coordination, submitting comprehensive documentation early and maintaining regular communication with Corps officials throughout the project, keeping the approval process from becoming the critical path.
Engineering Around What Can’t Be Moved
The levee system protecting surrounding communities wasn’t just nearby — it was in the way. Conventional pile driving through the levee was off the table. Instead, RNGD’s team engineered a cast-in-place pile system supported by thickened concrete spread footings that distribute the bridge’s structural load without ever compromising levee integrity. It’s the kind of solution that only comes from genuinely understanding what’s at stake.
For the foundation system in the river itself, 18-inch by 18-inch and 24-inch by 24-inch concrete pilings were driven into the riverbed by experienced marine construction crews working in active current conditions. Precast concrete caps were set at a rate of two caps per day — a pace that required tight coordination of marine equipment, materials, and crews working within tight environmental windows. Precast deck planks were then installed cap to cap, followed by a four-inch concrete topping slab that corrects for the minor elevation variations inevitable in marine construction, delivering a smooth, level surface ready for heavy port traffic. A large certified steel span carries the bridge over River Road, completing the structure.
A Second Line of Defense for the Port
Completed and operational, the Globalplex Access Bridge does more than connect two points on a map. It gives the Port of South Louisiana a second access point that improves traffic flow, reduces congestion, and provides a critical backup when the primary bridge is undergoing maintenance or an emergency arises. For the river parishes, that’s not just infrastructure — it’s economic resilience. For RNGD, it’s another example of what it means to build for Louisiana: taking on the most demanding conditions the state can offer and delivering something built to last.
