BATON ROUGE - The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development announced the load limit for the southbound lanes of the LA 1 Intracoastal Waterway Bridge has been rescinded.

The load limit was lowered in both directions in late March due to deficiencies found during an inspection. The repairs for the southbound lanes were completed Monday.

The load limit posting of 15-25 tons is still in effect for the northbound lanes and is expected to be lifted in mid-June. Louisiana State Police Weight Enforcement officers will continue to support DOTD’s efforts and enforce the load posted limits on the northbound lanes. 

“I’m proud of the quick response and hard work by all who were able to get the southbound lanes repaired before the estimated completion date of mid-June,” DOTD Secretary Shawn D. Wilson said. “Safety is our No. 1 priority. These types of emergency repairs will become more frequent if we fail to proactively invest in our transportation infrastructure system. This is an example of the impact infrastructure has on the economy, businesses and the traveling public.”

The bridge remains safe for vehicles under the load posted limits.

The LA 1 Intracoastal Waterway Bridge was built in 1960 and has an average daily traffic count of approximately 48,000. Replacement of the structure is currently scheduled for 2020 pending available funding at a cost of $120 million.