ST. CHARLES PARISH, La. — Road work on the Hale Boggs Bridge in St. Charles Parish is backing up traffic for miles each day during rush hour. It has become so severe that Parish President Matthew Jewell wrote to the DOTD and asked for a shorter timeline.
The bridge links the east and west banks of the parish across the Mississippi River. According to Jewell’s letter, more than 48,000 people cross it daily.
The entire right lane of the northbound side of the bridge has been closed since Oct.23. The DOTD says crews are performing concrete patch work. The work is set to be completed Jan. 27.
In the meantime, cars are getting stuck in near-stopped traffic for miles trying to get onto the bridge.
“It’s been chaotic” said Luling resident Stacy Spurlock, who takes the bridge about three times a week. “It takes 45 minutes to get across.”
There are many reasons residents find themselves needing to travel to the east bank, including urgent ones. The St. Charles Parish Hospital is on the west bank but residents say it offers limited services. The nearest children’s hospital is also on the east bank.
There are not many other options to get across the river. The closest route across the Mississippi River is the Huey P. Long Bridge in Jefferson Parish, which is 15 miles away. The nearest bridge in the other direction is 24 miles away in St. John Parish.
In his letter, Jewell said the traffic is affecting “first responders, parish workers, and school bus drivers.” He asked the DOTD for round-the-clock work on the bridge repairs so it can be completed more quickly.
He also described a pattern of disruptive construction on the bridge, which has “consistently remained under construction or inspection” throughout his time in office.
Residents agree.
Spurlock called it “very frustrating,” and added that there has been long-term construction on several main roads near the bridge as well, which is adding to the traffic headache from the bridge construction. “It’s hard to get anywhere around here,” she said.
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