UPDATE: Grand Lake Pontoon Bridge on LA 384 now open to vehicle and marine traffic Jan. 25, 2023 -- Cameron Parish
Wednesday, January 25, 2023 at 4:38:32 PM
UPDATE: Grand Lake Pontoon Bridge on LA 384 is operating and open to vehicle and marine traffic as of Wednesday, January 25, 2023.

Cameron Parish -- The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development announces that repair work at Grand Lake Pontoon Bridge on LA 384 is ongoing, and the bridge is anticipated to reopen to vehicle traffic the morning of Thursday, January 26, 2023.

Grand Lake Pontoon bridge was closed to highway traffic on December 23, 2022, for repairs to the lifting girder beneath the easternmost roadway approach apron. The lifting girder is a structural support used to raise and lower the apron onto the pontoon. Crews have been working seven days a week to get the bridge back in operation.

A DOTD statewide bridge crew disassembled the apron and delivered it to the fabrication yard for repair, which is ongoing. The repaired apron is anticipated to be transported to the Grand Lake Pontoon Bridge on Saturday, January 21, 2023, with installation to follow.

Along with the ongoing repairs to the approach apron, contractor crews are working to replace the apron gear motors at Grand Lake Pontoon Bridge. This work has been planned for several months as part of an ongoing hurricane repair project. The remaining parts for the apron gear motors arrived on Thursday, January 19, 2023, and the contractor was directed to begin work in an effort to utilize the current bridge closure. The west side motor is currently being replaced, and work on the east side motor is scheduled once the rebuilt apron is installed.

Installing the new bridge motors while the Grand Lake Pontoon Bridge is already closed for the apron repairs avoids additional closures of the bridge in the future. The existing motors will be reworked and stored to be used as short term replacements in the event of future breakdowns. This will help reduce future extended downtime due to bridge apron motors.

Safety reminder:
DOTD appreciates your patience and reminds you to please drive with caution through the construction site and be on the lookout for work crews and their equipment.
Area residents should exercise caution when driving, walking, or biking near an active construction zone.

Additional information:
Call 511, visit www.511la.org, or download the Louisiana 511 mobile app for additional information. Out-of-state travelers may call 1-888-ROAD-511 (1-888-762-3511). Motorists may also monitor the LA DOTD website at www.dotd.la.gov, by selecting MyDOTD, or by visiting the DOTD Facebook and Twitter pages.