Project: Stage 0 Feasibility Study
New Iberia Rail Grade Separation

Client: City of New Iberia, LA

Scope: Feasibility Study

Iberia Parish in Louisiana serves as an economic trade and employment center for South Central Louisiana and is located along US Highway 90 (future I-49 corridor). In 1879, the first train passenger rail was installed through the City of New Iberia. At that time, the tracks were placed in the most obvious and convenient location: near commercial businesses along Bayou Teche. The use of the railroad spread quickly and commerce began using the rail to ship goods such as lumber, bricks, and agricultural products across the south. As the city expanded with both business and residential development, the railroad tracks eventually bisected the growing community. The city's only two hospitals are located on the northeast side of the tracks. Historically, train traffic has caused delays in emergency services. As more growth and increased rail traffic is expected for New Iberia, the risk for emergency vehicles being delayed by a train will increase.

Fenstermaker's engineers prepared a feasibility study for implementing a grade separated overpass structure to span across the existing BNSF railroad track facility. The proposed overpass would run parallel to LA 182 within the corporate limits of the city. The purpose of the overpass is to improve emergency response time and avoid life threatening delays. The study focused on determining all reasonable and feasible locations in which a grade separated structure can be implemented. The work included developing traffic studies, conceptual geometric layouts, public involvement and meetings, and environmental inventories in order to determine project feasibility and costs. The study is being used to determine if a project of this type is feasible for addressing the future growth of the City of New Iberia from both emergency facility access east and west of the BNSF railroad track facility as well as transportation infrastructure needs.