BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) – The Bob Pettit Boulevard Bridge is now closed to traffic until next year.
The 34th bridge closure this year is a parish bridge in East Baton Rouge on Bob Pettit Rd crossing Bayou Fountain. It has significant ADT and split piles and rotated caps and abutments. pic.twitter.com/Rjba7tfUDj
— Shawn Wilson, Ph.D. (@onevisionary) November 30, 2021
This closure directly affects those that live around and use Tigerland.
The mayor’s office estimates that the bridge will be closed until at least “the middle of next year.”
So why is the bridge closure necessary? The mayor’s office is providing these reasons for the closure:
- The bridge is being replaced because of safety concerns
- The current bridge is beyond its lifespan
According to the mayor’s office, “The bridge replacement was delayed until after football season to minimize impact to the area, but can be delayed no longer for safety concerns.”
As local motorists know, the bridge is located between Alvin Dark Ave. and Nicholson Dr.
Local residents can still “access the area off Brightside Dr.,” according to the mayor’s office.
With safety as the primary motive, the mayor’s office believes “the new bridge will be safer, more durable and allow for better drainage.”