By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

Drivers in St. Charles Parish should be on the lookout for lane closures on both River Road and Airline Highway this week because of a large equipment transport and pipe bridge work at the Valero St. Charles refinery in Norco.

The refinery, with the help of Mammoet USA South Inc., will be transporting a piece of heavy equipment down Airline Highway from CC Road at the western end of the Bonnet Carre Spillway. The lane closure will begin Friday at 10 p.m. and continue until Sunday at 10 p.m.

Valero officials said the size of the transport vessel will cause Airline Highway to narrow from four lanes to two lanes from CC Road to Prospect Avenue. In preparation for the move, the right eastbound lane and shoulder of Airline Highway over the Bonnet Carre Spillway will be closed today from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Also this weekend, all lanes of River Road will be closed from Prospect Avenue to St. Charles Street so a crew can replace a pipe ridge that crosses the road.

The road will be closed from 10 p.m. Friday until 8 p.m. Sunday.

State Police and St. Charles Parish sheriff’s deputies will be in the area to redirect traffic at both locations for the duration of the closures.