BATON ROUGE – The bridge on Nicholson Drive, near Brightside Drive and before Gardere Lane, will reopen in five weeks, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development announced on July 14.  

The bridge closed on July 10 for crews to assess damage and to make emergency repairs. 

The bridge is scheduled to be replaced in early 2018, however a routine inspection found the timber-supported bridge has severe deterioration in most of its structure, which required immediate closure, DOTD officials say. 

DOTD is now driving piles and reinforcing the timber with steel in order to keep the bridge in service until it can be replaced. The type of repair is common for timber bridges and is the quickest method to use, DOTD officials say. 

The detour route for drivers heading southeast on Nicholson Drive is to take Lee Drive to Burbank Drive, or take Burbank Drive directly from Nicholson Drive near LSU, then proceed to Gardere Lane or Bluebonnet Boulevard and then back to Nicholson Drive . For drivers heading northwest, take Bluebonnet Boulevard or Gardere Lane to Burbank Drive and then Lee Dr. back to Nicholson Drive, or just stay on Burbank to connect with Nicholson Drive near LSU.