BATON ROUGE - Traffic officials announced Friday that Plaquemine Ferry service will be suspended starting Monday due to high Mississippi River stages.

LA DOTD said they will be monitoring the conditions of the river closely over the weekend, and in the event that the river rises to a level that makes it unsafe to operate, traffic officials will alert the public should an earlier closure become necessary.

On Jan. 8, DOTD crews built a higher elevation approach that allowed the ferry to remain open for an additional week despite rising river levels. It will also enable the ferry to reopen roughly one week sooner once the river levels fall.

DOTD expects to resume service by Jan. 28 based on the current river stage forecast, but they say that depends on field conditions.

Prior to traveling, drivers are urged to contact the toll-free Ferry Information line at (888) 613-3779 for the ferry status information. Motorists can also visit the “Ferry Status” page on DOTD’s website.