UPDATE:
1:30 pm - The St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office says that the Highway 182 bridge over the Atchafalaya River is now open.
The bridge was reopened following an inspection on Wednesday by DOTD.
The bridge was shut down after the height restriction bar on the bridge was damaged in a crash.
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With the Highway 182 bridge in Morgan City closed, traffic congestion has been a major issue for morning commutes on the East end of St. Mary Parish.
Sheriff Blaise Smith and the Uniformed Patrol Division advised the the public to use extreme caution while traveling on Wednesday morning. The Highway 182 bridge is currently shut down and is scheduled to remain shut down through the morning.
On Tuesday, the Berwick Police Department said they were investigating damage from a crash on the bridge where the height restriction barrier was damaged. DOTD was called out for repairs and inspection.
As a result of the closure still in place as of Wednesday morning, traffic was backed up on the Eastbound lanes of US 90 to Bayou Vista.
Smith says that with the roadways being wet and coupled with existing work on the Highway 90 bridge, which is down to one lane in both directions, motorists should expect delays.
"Slow down and leave space between your vehicle and the one in front of you. Be safe!" the sheriff's office said in a post on Facebook.
The closure is expected to last through the morning on Wednesday, however the closure may be closed into the afternoon.
"We are awaiting DOTD to complete the inspection of the Highway 182 bridge and make the decision to open it back up. We are hopeful that this can be done before the 5 pm 'rush hour' traffic. Traffic was moving steady this morning but was exceptionally slow. Motorists are advised to be aware that afternoon traffic could be slow as well."
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