PRAIRIEVILLE - A popular pathway, shutdown for weeks, re-opened just in time for the evening commute Thursday.

The Department of Transportation closed the bridge that runs over Bayou Manchac on Old Perkins Road after water overtopped the bridge surface in the May flood.

Before it could open, the bridge had to be inspected. 

The state hired specialized divers to inspect the bridge since portions of areas that needed to be checked were still covered with high water.  Inspectors deemed the bridge safe, the state said. 

The closure was an inconvenience for drivers in Ascension since it's a popular route into and out of EBR. 

“My normal drive time is about 12 minutes but now it’s about 45 minutes,” said John Campbell, who lives nearby. 

“It has doubled my time just to get up on the interstate and get to work,” said Matt Kennedy, who usually uses this bridge during his daily commute. 

At first, DOTD used temporary barricades but drivers were moving them and driving across after water receded but before the bridge was inspected.  Memorial Day weekend, the state added concrete barriers that were too heavy for drivers to move in an effort to keep people from crossing the bridge.

The bridge was open to traffic Thursday evening (June 3).