Drivers in the Amelia area have been using one lane since 2021 after a barge hit the Bayou Ramos Bridge, causing extensive damage.
But the safety of a traffic light directing traffic one lane at a time has raised concerns. Marie Mayon said a few months ago her nephew was in a wreck on the bridge breaking his back.
“He was sitting behind a dump truck at that light and there was a drivable crane coming up behind him,” Mayron said. “And for whatever reason he didn’t stop. He just ran over the car and drug it into the other lane. Almost costing Brandon’s life.”
Cecile Martin said she’s come close to being in an accident.
“There was one time the light turned green for me to go and as I started getting on that one side of the lane, I guess a car on the other side didn’t realize the red,” Martin said. “She was coming head on. I had to back all the way up.”
Frank Elliott said his wife will not drive over the bridge due to larger vehicles allowed to drive over it.
“It’s dangerous,” Elliott said. “It really is not just for the common people with a small vehicle or SUV but because they got all the heavy loads going across there. It’s really dangerous.”
In July of 2023 the DOTD announced bids would go out in September. Martin said it’s been about six months since she’s heard of any updates and she as well as Mayon would like to know what’s going on.
“We don’t know who to turn to, who to get it fixed,” Martin said. “It’s just been a good while now and you keep hearing people saying they’re gonna fix it they’re gonna fix it but it still ain’t fixed.”
“Maybe they could put something out there where people can try to maybe contact people to get it you know, get the process on the bridge get things moving and get it fixed,” Mayon said.
The DOTD said they are in the process of finalizing plans and the bid for construction will happen in winter or Spring of 2024.
