DOTD is expecting it will take another two weeks to repair portions of Interstate 55 damaged by the 168-vehicle pileup that killed seven people in St. John the Baptist Parish. I-55 South is currently open but spokesperson Rodney Mallet says they’ll need to shut it down for a six-hour period this weekend where traffic is currently reduced to one lane.
“We’re going to move traffic onto the other lane the completed lane and then work on the lane that people are currently driving on. So it’s going to be one lane at the crash site southbound for another two weeks or so.”
Crews will switch lane closures near the crash site. Mallet says traffic will taper down to the right lane near the crash site as crews begin to repair the left lane. Mallet says traffic will taper down to the right lane near the crash site as crews begin to repair the left lane.
“They have to get ready to work on the current travel lane. So they have to put up safety barriers and do some striping to ensure traveling public is safe as well as the workers.”
I-55 northbound remains closed. Mallet says partial deck replacement is needed. He say contractors will start next week and repairs could take up to two weeks to complete.
“Inspection shows there was extensive spalling. So we’re going to have to remove part of the roadway on the deck of the bridge and then repave it.”
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