DOTD: Sunshine Bridge opens ahead of schedule following repairs

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development announced that the Sunshine Bridge on Hwy. 70 in St. James Parish has reopened ahead of schedule on Aug. 27, following repairs to a cracked structural member.

According to a news release, the bridge was originally scheduled to be closed for both days of the weekend but has been reopened to traffic and is safe for travel.

Permitted loads are still prohibited from crossing at this time due to ongoing bridge inspections.

The westbound right lane had been closed since Aug. 18 due to a significant crack in one of the 168 vertical structural members, which was discovered during a routine inspection of the bridge.

DOTD was able to expedite the repair process utilizing an emergency contract with Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc.

In 2018, the bridge was closed for several weeks after a crane struck it.

The bridge is located in St. James Parish, near the Ascension Parish boundary. It crosses the Mississippi River on the southern side of the Baton Rouge area.