Bayou Ramos bridge fix goes out for bids in September

Remedies for two of east St. Mary's biggest traffic headaches are on the state Department of Transportation and Development's drawing board. But months will be required for traffic to return to normal.

Proposed repairs for the La. 182 bridge over Bayou Ramos in Amelia are scheduled to go out for bids in September, said DOTD spokeswoman Deidra Druilhet. Work is expected to begin late this year or early next year.

The DOTD is putting together a project to fix the other problem, the subsidence that forced officials to move one lane to the shoulder of La. 70 near Lake End Park.

The Bayou Ramos bridge has been restricted to one lane after a Dec. 23, 2021, barge strike.

According to the National Traffic Safety Board report, the towing vessel Miss Mollye D was pushing six barges east on Bayou Boeuf, which meets Bayou Ramos at the bridge. At 3:26 a.m., the tow left the channel and hit the bridge.

The pilot said later he didn't realize that the strike had happened, and the vessel continued east on Bayou Boeuf, the report said. But the strike damaged water, electric and gas lines on the bridge. When utility workers arrived about 6:30 a.m. in response to the damage, they reported the incident.

A urine test found no trace of illegal drugs in the pilot's system. But a toxicology test using a hair, which can retain traces of drugs for a longer period, yielded positive results for several drugs, including methamphetamine and fentanyl.

The pilot lost control of the tow "likely due to impairment by factors such as fatigue or drug use," the NTSB report summary said.

The bridge was closed to vehicles for three weeks while safety inspections were performed. In mid-January 2022, the DOTD opened the westbound lane with a temporary traffic light that allows vehicles to move in one direction at a time.

The NTSB estimated the value of damage to the bridge and utility infrastructure at $2 million.

The La. 70 mishap resulted from a failure in an underground pipe that runs beneath the highway.

"Several weeks ago, we found out that we had some settlement in this area and the pipe has submerged," Druilhet wrote in an email. "We are in the process of putting together a project and seeking funding to remove and replace the cross drain pipe."

The lane shift was a source of concern during the Fourth of July events at Lake End Park, but no major incidents were reported.

Also underway is the $25.9 million rehabilitation project for the Long-Allen Bridge that carries La. 182 over Berwick Bay. The bridge is closed to vehicle traffic for work that is expected to take two years.