BATON ROUGE, La. – The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) announced today that the St. Francisville/New Roads ferry service will be restored by temporarily using a 17-car ferry beginning Saturday at 5 a.m.

The St. Francisville/New Roads crossing was closed on Saturday, April 25, because of a fuel tank leak in the vessel normally used for the crossing.

On Monday, May 4, the ferry service will be closed from approximately 8:30 a.m. until mid-afternoon. During this time, crews will be repairing the fuel tank in the main St. Francisville/New Roads vessel, and they will need to access the ferry’s dock in order to transfer fuel to and from the vessel. The ferry service’s main vessel can be put back into service after the repair is complete and the Coast Guard inspects and approves the repair.

The 17-car vessel will operate during the ferry’s regular operating hours of 5 a.m. to 9 p.m., 7 days a week. Vehicle restrictions for the smaller vessel are: no trailers, no more than two axles, and no more than six wheels. Large trucks and trailers should use the Interstate 10 Mississippi River Bridge or the U.S. 190 Bridge.

Before traveling, drivers should call the Ferry Toll-Free Information line at 1-888-613-3779 for the status of the ferry, or visit the “Ferry Status” page on the right-hand side of the DOTD Web site.