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State Rep. Sam Jones’ message to the state Department of Transportation and Development is simple: The Long-Allen Bridge will remain your responsibility.
Jones quashed talk of moving upkeep to the St. Mary Parish Council’s domain at last Wednesday’s meeting.
“I want to make sure no one gets nervous about this,” Jones said. “The responsibility for this bridge or any idea that it will close will not happen on my watch,” he said.
Bill Fontenot, an area DOTD district supervisor, raised concerns at a recent public hearing focused on the Interstate 49 extension from New Iberia to Amelia. The bridge connects La. Highway 182 on both sides of the Atchafalaya River.
Fontenot suggested the parish take over maintenance of the Long-Allen Bridge if residents want to continue using it.
He said the truss bridge is rusting, and would cost millions to upgrade.
The Mt. Vernon Bridge Co. of Mt. Vernon, Ohio, built the bridge, which opened in 1933. It has since been replaced, for the most part, by the E.J. Lionel Grizzaffi Bridge, which opened in 1975.
And while many south Louisiana bridges were damaged by Hurricane Katrina, the Long-Allen was unaffected. “This bridge, almost 77 years old, is still standing,” Jones said. “I can tell you that we’re not tearing down anything as structurally sound as this.”
The Long-Allen Bridge carries traffic from Morgan City to Berwick. Meanwhile, the four-lane Grizzaffi Bridge runs just south of the Long-Allen, connecting U.S. Highway 90 on both sides of the Atchafalaya River.
Fontenot first made the suggestion before the parish council in October 2009.
Jones said last week a move to close or relinquish control of the bridge must be approved at the legislative level. “And I promise you, that will not happen,” he said.
Jones serves on the state Transportation Committee and chairs the group’s sub-committee, which studies bridges across the Louisiana.
“I can assure you that 500, if not 1,000 bridges, will close before this one,” Jones said. “And pushing control and responsibility of this bridge down to [St. Mary], well, it’s just not where we’re going.
“I want you to pass a resolution letting the state know you need them to be responsible and paint and do whatever else needs to be done on this bridge,” Jones said. “This bridge is vital to our state, especially in the wake of a hurricane evacuation.”
Councilman Steve Biehorst agreed with Jones’ observation.
“Where was Bill Fontenot when both bridges were packed from New Orleans to Lafayette?” asked Bierhorst, referencing the 2009 hurricane season. “If we would not have had both bridges, our folks would have been trapped. They would not have been able to get to the hospital.”
The Long-Allen Bridge can also easily be worked into the contraflow system, Bierhorst noted. “You can’t do that with the other bridge.”
Care of the Long-Allen Bridge in St. Mary Parish will likely remain the state’s responsibility, state Rep. Sam Jones said. FILE PHOTO
