Burgess Road bridge reopened in Denham Springs after contractor dispute

Denham Springs, LA. The West Colyell Creek Bridge on Burgess Road reopened at about 10 a.m. Friday, July 3, 2026, after a dispute with the contractor threatened to delay the scheduled return of traffic, according to Livingston Parish officials and corroborating local reports.

Livingston Parish Department of Public Works crews installed temporary pavement striping, while parish personnel and deputies responded to the bridge site after officials said Guinn Construction would not move its equipment. The immediate dispute concerned liquidated damages assessed under the delayed project contract.

Parish crews moved ahead with reopening

WBRZ reported that Public Works Director Robert Dugas, parish crews and Livingston Parish deputies went to the site at about 8:30 a.m. July 3. The equipment was moved, and the roadway reopened at approximately 10 a.m.

Parish officials said Guinn Construction had stated it would not allow the road to open if liquidated damages were assessed under the contract terms. Liquidated damages are contract-based charges associated with work extending beyond a scheduled completion date. The available reports document the parish’s statements and the contractor’s reported position; they do not establish a court finding, a final liability ruling or a final legal outcome.

The parish announced July 2 that it would use its own Public Works crews to install temporary striping rather than allow the contractual dispute to continue delaying public access. Parish officials said permanent pavement striping and permanent signage remained unfinished after the temporary work.

What the reopening changed locally

Reopening the bridge restored the Burgess Road crossing for residents, workers, deliveries and routine trips through the Denham Springs area. It also removed the immediate bridge closure for motorists who had been required to use alternate routes while the crossing was shut.

The reopening was carried out by Livingston Parish Government, not the city of Denham Springs. State project records identify the crossing as the West Colyell Creek Bridge on Burgess Road in Livingston Parish and identify Livingston Parish Government as the project owner.

Project status before traffic returned

Minutes from the June 11 Livingston Parish Council meeting recorded that unsuitable sub-base material had been removed and replaced. The contractor had completed the base material to the required elevation, and parish officials said the plan was to begin asphalt work the following week. That record describes the anticipated work schedule at the time; it does not by itself establish final completion.

A Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development consultant record identifies the work as project H.015355, the West Colyell Creek Bridge on Burgess Road. The record describes a replacement of the former timber bridge with a 30-foot-wide curved slab-span bridge and identifies Livingston Parish Government as the owner.

Remaining accountability questions

Traffic access has been restored, but the reopening did not document final acceptance of every project item. Permanent striping and signage were still identified as remaining work, and the contract dispute over liquidated damages was separate from the parish’s decision to reopen the roadway.

Later public records may clarify the final completion status, the resolution of the damages dispute and responsibility for remaining work. Residents and commuters should distinguish the July 3 reopening from any later striping, signage, inspection or contract-resolution activity.

Sources

• Livingston Parish Council minutes, June 11, 2026
• Louisiana DOTD consultant record for the West Colyell Creek Bridge
• WBRZ report on the July 3 reopening
• WAFB report on the bridge reopening