ERATH — Three timber bridges along Louisiana Highway 339 will be replaced with reinforced concrete boxes, according to the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD).
The three bridge locations are near Hidalgo Road, Broadview Drive, and Durphy Road. The project will cost around $4 million.
Deidra Druilhet, DOTD’s public information officer, said that the project will be funded from a combination of state and federal funds, with about $3 million coming from federal funding and about $800,000 coming from the state.
The bridges have deteriorated over time due to heavy vehicles driving across them. Druilhet said the age of the bridges has contributed to the need for replacement.
"You have to think about the age of the bridges as well. At the time when they were initially built, versus how much has changed in our society since then," said Druilhet. "If you think about even just the type of vehicles that are driven right now,” she added.
Erath residents who live near one of the timber bridges said the bridge needs to be replaced as soon as possible. They said they can see the bridge bend when heavy trucks drive over it.
While some residents believe repairs are necessary, they said they are concerned about traffic being rerouted during construction.
Druilhet said the project is expected to take less than a year, with each bridge taking approximately three months to complete. Two of the three bridges will require complete road closures.
“I do anticipate, basically, building a bit of a detour road, I guess you could say, for the northernmost timber bridge location. But the other two locations, they will require to completely close the road," said Druilhet.
Detour routes will be available for motorists during the bridges’ closures.
The project is expected to begin during the spring or summer.
