LAFAYETTE, La. (KPEL News) – For those of you who are headed east for business or for pleasure, you will want to pay attention to these traffic closures happening at the Pearl River Bridge over the Louisiana-Mississippi state line.

These temporary lane closures are scheduled to happen for the next month, according to Fox8live.com. They actually began on Wednesday, July 5th, when traffic officials closed the right lane on Interstate 10 Westbound. This is to allow crews to hydro demo the deck, replace concrete and fix a joint. Then, that right lane will be reopened but the left left will be closed for the remainder of the time period.

The closures are scheduled to end by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, August 11.

While this construction may have minimal impact while you are crossing Louisiana into Mississippi, you will need to plan accordingly for your trip back home. If you choose to detour to get back to the Bayou State, this is what you are advised to do:

• Stay north of I-10.
• Exit at Hwy 603.
• Take either Texas Flat Road or Hwy 43 toward I-59.
• The only road into Louisiana south of I-10 is Hwy 90, which is currently closed to traffic at the Pearl River Bridge.

U.S. Highway 90 at the Pearl River Bridge Could Be Shut Down Until 2028 for Drivers Crossing Louisiana and Mississippi

We all have either joked about or heard jokes about how poorly Louisiana takes care of its roads.

Well, this is no laughing matter as the U.S. 90 bridge over the West Pearl River looks as if it will be closed for the next five years and those in Mississippi are pointed the blame right at our state legislature.

“We’re talking about five years of shutting down a U.S. highway. That’s just not acceptable,” said Mississippi District 122 Rep. Brent Anderson in this article on wlox.com. “DOT in Louisiana and their legislature should’ve taken better care of their side of the highway. We have small businesses here in Pearlington that are suffering because the road is closed. They rely on that daily traffic from both states…Louisiana folks are suffering the same thing. It’s up to their delegation to get on board”

It’s been nearly a year since the bridge was closed, points out the WLOX article. The problem is Louisiana DOTD says they don’t have the money to “their side of the highway,” or three other bridges that also need work.

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