UPDATE: The rig that crashed off the Estherwood bridge on Monday, September 26, 2022 appeared to have been too heavy for the bridge.
Details are still incomplete, but troopers say the rig was too heavy, the driver lost control and struck the guardrail. Hazmat officials are checking to see if any diesel or oil leaked from the truck engine.
We'll have more information later on this incident, but as of noon the bridge is still closed.
Viewers tell us they were diverted away from the bridge on La. 91 and detoured to other highways to get through the area Monday morning.
The Acadia Parish Sheriff's Office posted early Monday that the bridge was closed due to an accident, and requested that drivers travel a different route.
Now that the pontoon bridge is going to be up for construction some residents are expressing their frustrations as they try to find alternate routes again. Matt Leger has lived in the Estherwood area most of his life and says this isn’t the first time he’s had to take a detour because of the closure of the bridge.
"It's a hassle every time the road closes man flood accidents. It's just terrible," Leger said. "It'll add about 10 to 15, maybe 20 minutes dependent on where I'm going you know," he continued.
However, some residents like Margaret Regan, who has also lived in Estherwood for decades, says the bridge closure is nothing unusual.
"We're so used to it whenever those things happen. We take 90, whether we're going towards Jennings or Crowley. I just know the people that work at Petro or work right there. It's a little bit harder for them, especially with gas prices and things are just hard for everybody," Regan said.
According to DOTD, they are working to replace the current Pontoon Bridge with a more permanent structure. However, that could take up to a year or more before that construction goes up for bid.
Here is a photo of the scene:
KATC received an update stating the vehicle has been recovered. According to DOTD, the bridge will not be reopened for a few days.
