The Huey P. Long Bridge is an iconic cantilever truss bridge spanning the Mississippi River at River Mile 106.1 in the Greater New Orleans area, connecting the east bank community of Elmwood (Jefferson Parish) to the west bank community of Bridge City/Harahan. Designed by renowned engineer Ralph Modjeski and opened on December 16, 1935, during the Great Depression, the bridge was a signature public works project championed by Louisiana Governor Huey P. Long. It was the first bridge to cross the Mississippi River in Louisiana and, at the time, featured the longest railroad structure of its kind in the world.

Project Challenges

The Huey P. Long Bridge widening project—part of a $1.2 billion effort to modernize this vital Mississippi River crossing—required substructure enhancements while the bridge remained fully operational for highway and railroad traffic, river navigation, and regional commerce.

Key challenges for the substructure painting scope included:

• Working on newly installed structural steel components of the widened piers in a high-exposure marine environment prone to corrosion from constant humidity, river spray, and fluctuating Mississippi River levels.
• Performing abrasive blasting and coating application on large-scale steel surfaces while preventing dust, debris, or contaminants from entering the active river (environmentally sensitive), disrupting navigation, or affecting workers/support services below.
• Ensuring compliance with stringent LADOTD standards for coating systems and safety protocols in a marine/high-wind setting with heavy equipment.
• Integrating painting work seamlessly with Massman’s substructure widening activities

These factors demanded specialized expertise in containment, surface preparation and coatings application.

How We Delivered

In partnership with Massman Construction Co.,, Paragon provided expert substructure painting services, delivering durable corrosion protection to the new sub structural steel while supporting the overall bridge widening timeline.

Paragon self-performed the full painting scope, including abrasive blasting to achieve required surface profiles, application of LADOTD-standard multi-coat protective systems, and high-temperature coatings for enhanced longevity in the aggressive river environment. We implemented advanced containment and negative-pressure systems to capture all blast media and debris, preventing any environmental releases into the Mississippi River or impacts to navigation/operations.

We also installed a comprehensive safety net system beneath work zones to contain debris and protect personnel and equipment below.

The work achieved zero lost-time incidents, full environmental compliance, and seamless integration with Massman’s pier-widening efforts.

This project exemplifies Paragon’s ability to deliver high-performance coatings in complex, operational marine infrastructure settings, providing exceptional value to Massman, LADOTD, and the New Orleans region.