MSDOT - The Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina Part 2

The Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT)s video production, Katrina/Bay Bridges of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, is being featured on Transportation TV by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). The video was chosen by AASHTO to air on Transportation TV as part of the agencys national campaign which poses the question: Are We There Yet? The campaign is aimed at launching and sustaining a national dialogue about the nations transportation needs. The MDOT video, produced in-house by Glenn Smith, shows the devastation left by Hurricane Katrina, which hit the Mississippi Gulf Coast in August 2005. The video was shot just days after the storm subsided as MDOT was conducting damage assessments and continuing its emergency response role. The footage reveals the unprecedented hardship and tragedy faced by Gulf Coast residents, and shows some of the $1 billion in damage the storm caused to Mississippis transportation infrastructure — including the states two largest bridges, the Bay of St. Louis Bridge and the Biloxi Bay Bridge, which were damaged beyond repair. The video also captures MDOT employees, community leaders, politicians, emergency personnel and others working relentlessly during this time of response and recovery. Emergency repairs to coastal infrastructure began immediately and plans to reconstruct the two bridges were developed rapidly. To accelerate the completion of both bridges and reconnect coastal communities, MDOT embarked upon its first design-build projects. The bridges were completed at an astounding pace and are now fully opened to traffic.