Good news for drivers traversing Terrebonne Parish: The Boudreaux Canal Bridge on LA 56, a familiar connector that's long been awaiting some TLC, is now officially back in business ahead of schedule. As of last Friday, July 18, the bridge that first opened its arms to the motoring public back in '59 is once again bearing the load of local traffic, after DOTD crews hammered out the needed repairs with some significant hurry-up. What was meant to be an end-of-August ribbon-cutting has taken shape at 4 PM on the 18th, a full head start to relief for the region's commuters, according DOTD's announcement.
On the horizon, though, is a more ambitious fix: a brand-new bridge estimated to smack the budget at a cool $30 million bucks, planned to go out to bid by next summer. A whisper of progress in an oft-troubled infrastructure landscape, this upgrade signals a coming age for sustained mobility across the state's storied waters.
Lest we think this is a solo affair, the Bayou Dularge Bridge on LA 315, opening its yawning mouth for the first time in '77, has likewise re-emerged—albeit partially—from its construction cocoon. From last Wednesday, July 16, this bascule bridge is accommodating the weekday work commute, setting its open hours strictly to rush hour constraints: 6:30-8:30 AM and 4:30-6 PM, while still granting passage to marine life beneath during off-vehicle times. DOTD promises to keep updates coming as the work presses on, as noted in their press release.
Other spans in the area are still under the knife. The Daigleville Bridge, a relative youngster opened in 2006, hovers in limbo, pending the arrival of specially fabricated cables, with eyes on an October reopening. Meanwhile, the Bayou Blue Pontoon Bridge—middle-aged, born in '72—suffers a similar fate following an unfortunate run-in with a boat. Teams from Reliant Industrial Solutions, LLC, have their hands full, but they're expected to wrap the repairs by August's end, turning wrenches on everything from the apron drive assembly to the bridge house roof.
