Long-Allen Bridge slated for up to 3 years of rehab, will be closed during work

The reopening of all lanes on the U.S. 90 bridge is still expected Oct. 19, restoring local traffic to six lanes over the Atchafalaya River for the first time since September 2019.

And that break for local drivers is expected to last four months.

After the completion of the U.S. 90 bridge rehabilitation next week, it will be the two-lane Long-Allen Bridge’s turn. The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development anticipates closing the older bridge in February for rehabilitation expected to last at least 2½ years, DOTD spokeswoman Diedra Druilhet said Monday.

The bridge is a familiar landmark for local people, and it’s showing its age.

Crossing the bridge is also a short lesson in Louisiana history. A large plaque proclaims it to be the Long-Allen Bridge, named for Huey Long and O.K. Allen.
The Berwick-Morgan City La. 182 bridge is one of five in Louisiana to bear the Long-Allen name. It opened in 1933, and served vehicle traffic for the 42 years until the four-lane U.S. 90 bridge – named for legislator E.J. “Lionel” Grizzaffi – was complete.
Traffic on the U.S. 90 bridge has been limited to one lane in either direction during the three-year rehabilitation work there.

The old bridge’s two lanes carried an average of 12,788 vehicles a day in 2021, more than a third of the traffic count on the U.S. 90 bridge.

The Long-Allen bridge’s narrow width means it must be closed during the 2½ to three years the work is expected to take, “weather permitting,” Druilhet said.

“There’s just not enough room to make sure the contractor has enough room to keep its crews safe,” Druilet said.
Southern Road and Bridge of Tarpon Springs, Florida, was the low bidder for the Long-Allen work, which is expected to cost $26 million.

Druihet compared the contemplated work to doing maintenance on a car or a home. The work will extend the life of the bridge, she said.

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 possible impact of the bridge work on traffic was demonstrated again Monday.

The La. 182 bridge was closed Monday afternoon after an 18-wheeler hit the safety beams as it exited the bridge heading west on the Berwick side.

During part of that time, first responders also worked to clear a crash in the westbound lane of the U.S. 90 bridge.