Calcasieu River Bridge remains safe for travel
Friday, September 11, 2020 at 11:08:22 AM
LAKE CHARLES – Bridge inspectors from the Department of Transportation and Development inspected the I-10 Calcasieu River Bridge last night and this morning after concerns of a “hole” in the bridge appeared on the internet. While not receiving reports of impacts, the inspection determined the hole was actually an area where the median barrier had been hit and the steel cover was displaced. The concrete median safety barrier that runs the length of the bridge separating the lanes of opposing traffic was added after the bridge was originally built. It is located over a metal grate and therefore when the barrier was hit and the steel plate was displaced and the grate became uncovered.
There is no structural damage to the bridge, and it remains safe for vehicular traffic. If it were unsafe, the bridge would be closed.
DOTD is in the process of repairing the median barrier. The department is also hiring a consultant to inspect the barrier and bridge to validate it’s finding.
The area where the barrier was hit is visible in the picture below. In the upper left portion of the image below, the plate that was covering the grate is noticeable against the bridge rail.
