Project Spotlight: Mall of Louisiana Blvd.
Major Milestone Reached
The MOVEBR program is excited to share a significant step forward on the Mall of Louisiana Boulevard’s, Railroad Crossing Underpass & Pump Station phase of work. The team has officially completed the first of many major milestones: the new temporary railroad “shoofly” is operable.
What’s a Shoofly and Why Does it Matter?
A shoofly is a temporary set of railroad tracks that shifts the train’s route, in this case about 35 feet north of its original location, so crews have the space they need to safely continue construction.
With trains now operating on this temporary alignment, the Mall of Louisiana Boulevard project can move into an important new phase.
What’s Happening Next
Crews will begin removing part of the main railroad track to make room for the future railroad bridge construction. This new bridge will eventually allow a new connector road to pass underneath, linking the Mall of Louisiana directly to Perkins Road to improve access and reduce congestion in the area.
To prepare for bridge construction, excavation will start on the south side of the shoofly to allow cranes and heavy equipment to move into position, to install temporary shoring. This is a technique used to add additional support to structures during construction, repair or maintenance until permanent elements are in place.
The shoring will be engineered to safely hold back the surrounding soil and withstand the weight and vibration of passing trains during the construction of the underpass foundation and permanent support system. This support system is essential for the stability and long‑term durability of the new railroad bridge.
Reaching this milestone has required extensive coordination, planning, and teamwork from several project partners, including:
- City-Parish
- MOVEBR construction field staff and design partners (HNTB, Modejski and Masters, Evans-Graves Engineers, Stantec, GeoEngineers)
- CPKC (Canadian Pacific Kansas City)
- Wilson & Co.
- Denley Brown (Prime Contractor)
- Railworks (Subcontractor)
- RailPros (Railroad Flagging Services)
- Mall of Louisiana
- Utility Companies