Major Louisiana bridge to close for repair work

The full closure of the Hale Boggs Bridge is needed to remove the large piece of equipment from the top of the bridge pier on the west bank side, state transportation officials said.

The Associated Press

6/8/2012

LULING, La. — The Hale Boggs Bridge on Interstate 310 will be closed in both directions starting at 7 p.m. Friday and then through the weekend while equipment is moved to and an expansion joint is replaced on the bridge.

The Times-Picayune reports reopenings will be staggered, with the northbound lanes reopening by noon on Sunday and the southbound lanes reopening by 5 a.m. on Tuesday. The 29-year-old bridge crosses the Mississippi River in St. Charles Parish, just upriver from New Orleans.

The full closure is needed to remove the large piece of equipment from the top of the bridge pier on the west bank side, state transportation officials said. While this work is taking place, the expansion joint in the southbound lanes will be removed and replaced. Once the work to remove the equipment from the pier is complete, the northbound lanes will reopen leaving only the southbound lanes closed for the completion of the expansion joint work.

Motorists can detour via the Huey P. Long Bridge in Jefferson Parish or the Veterans Memorial Bridge between Gramercy in St.James Parish and Wallace in St. John the Baptist Parish.

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