Barge strike closes La. 182 bridge briefly; longer rehab closure delayed

The La. 182 bridge over Berwick Bay was closed overnight Saturday because of a barge strike, then was reopened by lunchtime Sunday after a state inspection.

The relatively quick reopening of the bridge isn’t the only break for local drivers. A rehabilitation project expected to close the old bridge for two years has been pushed back for up to three months.

The barge strike was reported by the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office at 12:52 p.m. Saturday.

The U.S. Coast Guard in New Orleans said the crane barge Miss Glenda struck the bridge. The Coast Guard was notified at 1:19 p.m. Saturday. An investigation into the cause is underway.

At 4:55 p.m., the Sheriff’s Office said the bridge would remain closed overnight while the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development brought in equipment for in inspection.

The inspection was complete and the bridge reopened at mid-morning Sunday.

The barge strike and closure occurred in a month when local drivers had been warned about a much longer closure of the old bridge, formally known as the Long-Allen Bridge.

After completion of a three-year rehabilitation project on the four-lane Lionel Grizzaffi Bridge — the new bridge — the DOTD planned to launch work on the old bridge.

The work includes cleaning and painting the bridge and making any needed repairs on the bridge deck and surface, the superstructure above the deck, and the pilings and abutments below.

The work is expected to take two years and cost $25.9 million, said DOTD spokeswoman Diedra Druilhet. The contract was awarded to Southern Road and Bridge of Tarpon Springs, Florida.

The narrow width of the old bridge means it will have to be closed completely during the work, Druilhet said.

Work was expected to begin this month.

But the contractor was given more time because of delays in acquiring some of the parts needed for the work, Druilhet said Monday.

Southern Road and Bridge is still in its assembly period, and the work is now expected to begin in May, Druilhet said.