DOTD announces two public hearings for US 90 Pearl River Bridges projects (St. Tammany Parish)
Wednesday, September 16, 2026 at 3:03:32 PM
BATON ROUGE, La. - The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD), in coordination with the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), will hold two public hearings in October for two related projects involving the five US 90 Pearl River bridges near the Louisiana-Mississippi state line.
DOTD is developing the replacement of four Louisiana bridges as a single project. The East Pearl River Bridge at the state line is being developed separately as a companion project in coordination with MDOT. Both projects are being evaluated through the same environmental review process.
The hearings will be held:
Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026
4:30-7 p.m.
Pearlington Recovery Center
5265 Highway 604
Pearlington, MS 39572
Monday, Oct. 26, 2026
4:30-7 p.m.
Northshore High School
100 Panther Drive
Slidell, LA 70461
At each hearing, the public can review the project designs, ask questions and provide comments.
The environmental review is a standard, comprehensive part of project development that major transportation projects complete before advancing into final design. It considers project options, potential environmental and community impacts, technical findings and data, and input from the public and other agencies. The hearings give residents an opportunity to review that information and provide comments before the review is completed.
DOTD currently anticipates completing the environmental review in the second quarter of 2027. Once approved, the projects can advance into their next stages of design.
Construction funding for the corridor has not been secured, and DOTD does not currently have a construction start date or projected reopening date. DOTD has continued environmental, planning and design work over the past several years so that the projects are positioned to advance more efficiently as funding becomes available, rather than beginning those required steps only after a funding source is identified. The project team has also developed different design approaches to preserve flexibility based on the funding available.
The existing Pearl River bridge complex dates to the early 1930s. After Hurricane Ida damaged the West Pearl River Bridge's support system in 2021, DOTD moved forward with an emergency repair project intended to reopen the corridor. A contractor was on site in early 2022 when additional structural issues were discovered, and DOTD determined the bridge could not be repaired as planned. The West Pearl River Bridge and three smaller Louisiana bridge structures were then closed to traffic, cutting off through travel on this section of US 90. The East Pearl River Bridge at the state line remained open and is being advanced separately with MDOT.
For detailed information about the hearings, including how to participate and submit comments, see the official public hearing announcement at: http://wwwapps.dotd.la.gov/administration/announcements/Announcement.aspx?key=52690
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