BATON ROUGE - State officials announced Tuesday that they have selected one of the contractors that will contribute to the Comite River diversion project.

DOTD selected Boh Bros. Construction Company to construct three new bridges in East Baton Rouge as part of the flood prevention project. The state says the bridges will be essential for finishing the project and will also benefit residents.

Boh Bros. will be responsible for the following aspects of the project.

- New bridge structures over the future Comite River Diversion Canal at LA 67 and LA 19
- A new railroad bridge structure over the future Comite River Diversion Canal at LA 19
- Temporary at-grade highway bypass roads for LA 67 and LA 19
- An at-grade shoo-fly for the Geaux Geaux railway on LA 19
- Utility coordination and, as necessary, relocations
- Maintenance of traffic- Local and business access

The overarching $353-million project will ultimately provide a 12-mile-long diversion channel from the Comite River to the Mississippi River. It will also provide guide levees, a control structure at Lilly Bayou, and four drop structures at intersections of the diversion channel at McHugh Road, Bayou Baton Rouge, Cypress Bayou, and White Bayou.

Construction on the project, which has been in the works for more than 20 years, is expected to begin summer 2021.