Kerner Bridge in La. partially reopened

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) has reopened one lane of the Kerner Bridge between Jean Lafitte and Barataria, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

The DOTD announced June 1 that it had secured the services of Boh Bros. Construction Co. to perform emergency repairs to the Kerner Bridge, also known as the Barataria Bridge.

Once on-site, the contractor was confident that it could complete temporary repairs and reopen to traffic by last weekend, which it did. The bridge will not be open to marine traffic until further notice, the DOTD said in a statement. Now that temporary repairs are complete, and the bridge reopened, a detailed assessment will be performed to determine the scope of work for full repair.

The bridge was struck by a barge early Tuesday morning May 31, significantly damaging the center pivot foundation and the truss. In order to help ease the inconvenience for local residents, Jefferson Parish will retain pedestrian ferry and bus services.