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BERWICK — Residents are being required to adjust their normal routine while traveling between Morgan City and Berwick. On-ramps on both sides of the U.S. 90 Bridge are closed due to bridge refurbishment.
On the Morgan City side, the Federal Avenue on-ramp is closed and on the Berwick side, the La. 182 on-ramp is closed. This new routine may become the new normal for quite some time.
“Both on-ramps will be closed for 15 to 18 months, at least,” Raymond Price, Berwick councilman, said at the Berwick Town Council meeting Tuesday night.
Police Chief David Leonard Sr. confirmed this time frame.
“That’s what they are saying,” Leonard said. “Obviously there are fluctuations in any type of work that they do — weather, break-downs, all affects the time frame.”
The time-frame arose when Berwick council members began to discuss concerns residents of Berwick have with the closing of the old bridge to vehicular traffic to allow residents to utilize it for walking, running and bicycling. The bridge closure is part of an initiative from St. Mary Excel and is called Bridging the Gap.
For the most part, residents have been enjoying the opportunity to utilize the old bridge in a new way. The closure of the on-ramps has changed that situation as now the bridge is seeing an increase in vehicular traffic.
During Berwick’s Lighthouse Festival, the bridge was closed to vehicular traffic and the issue was brought up that Berwick residents have to travel towards Bayou Vista to utilize a J-turn on U.S. 90 to be able to access the U.S. 90 Bridge if the old bridge option is taken away.
“We are going to have to look at this,” Mayor Duval Arthur said. “I want to see us do it because people really seem to like it, it’s been a good thing, but I am going to get with the Mayor of Morgan City and their police chief and we are going to take a look at it.”
Another new idea that has recently been put into effect in St. Mary Parish is the national campaign called “In God We Trust — America.” Patrick Hebert, St. Mary Parish councilman, attended Berwick’s Town Council meeting to explain the campaign and request Berwick’s participation.
“What this campaign is trying to do is get every parish, municipality, county, school, across the United States to display ‘In God We Trust.’ We have approved this at a parish level, but now I’m coming to the municipalities to bring it to you guys about displaying ‘In God We Trust’ in the chambers here,” Hebert said.
The council voted to display “In God We Trust.”
Also Tuesday, the council agreed to name a playground after a longtime parish employee.
“We have a resident of our town, Nyla Mary Nini, who passed away several years ago,” Arthur said. “She was a very dedicated employee to the Coroner’s Office and also served on the handicap committee representing the town of Berwick.”
Nini’s mother lives in Berwick across from the playground under the U.S. 90 bridge next to The Brown House Museum located on Third Street.
“We are talking about naming that playground the Nyla Mary Nini Children’s Playground,” Arthur said.
The council went along with the request.
Also:
—Councilwoman Colleen Askew reported on the positives and negatives of the Berwick Lighthouse Festival held Oct. 4-6. Askew feels that overall the festival was a success, but the timing of the festival was a major factor in not having a larger crowd as well as not being able to have carnival rides.
The same weekend as the festival were Berwick High School’s homecoming, Morgan City High School’s homecoming, Morgan City Police Department’s National Night Out Event, as well as other events happening across the parish and state.
The Lighthouse Festival was originally started to coincide with Tour Du Teche “but I think those days are over,” Councilman Lud Henry said. “Not that we are going to disregard the Tour du Teche, but the Lighthouse Festival will be a separate thing.”
Askew agreed: “We are going to separate it, probably next year, and they will have their own celebration with a sound system and food.”

The left lane of US 90 eastbound and westbound on the Atchafalaya River Bridge from Berwick to Morgan City will be closed 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday, weather permitting.

This closure is necessary for a striping operation, the Department of Transportation and Development said.

Emergency vehicles will have full access through the area.