New Orleans Canal Street Ferry Terminal
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans Regional Transit Authority
Project Overview
In 2015, the Regional Transit Authority of New Orleans (RTA), in conjunction with the City of New Orleans and the surrounding stakeholders, set out to connect the wharves between the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas and Spanish Plaza along the Mississippi River waterfront. A pivotal location in the city where Canal Street meets the river, the project included a new connecting wharf, ferry boarding barges, a ferry terminal building, as well as a pedestrian bridge to cross the train tracks, hardscaping, and landscaping.
This $28M large-scale infrastructure project was designed to service all-new high-speed “catamaran” style ferry boats and provide ADA accessible pathways for ferry passengers and the general public. The project included a new wharf supported by epoxy-coated steel pipe piles and consisted of precast concrete panels; 100-foot aluminum pedestrian gangways to the barges; a prefabricated steel bridge across the train tracks connecting two steel stair and elevator towers; a steel and glass ferry terminal building; raised concrete and steel planter beds; street and sidewalk repair; and temporary ferry facilities while the project was under construction.
Project Work and Royal Solutions
Royal acted as the Construction Manager representing the owner throughout the project. We began by assisting in the procurement of architecture and engineering services and assembling the project team. During design, Royal provided cost estimating, scheduling, permitting, and environmental compliance services supporting the RTA to make smart, long-term decisions for the project. We worked with the owner to select the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) project delivery method and worked together to create the procurement vehicle and scoring metrics to select the CMAR contractor.
During the pre-construction phase with the CMAR contractor, Royal provided cost estimating and schedule reviews, managed the design review meetings, and supported the RTA in finalizing the CMAR contract for construction.
During construction, Royal provided Construction Management and Inspection services throughout the project, advising the owner on decisions, reviewing change orders, assessing applications for payment, observing the work for quality, monitoring the schedule, and supporting the close-out process.
