By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

DESTREHAN – The Hale Boggs Bridge in St. Charles Parish is set to completely close to traffic this weekend so that large cranes can move equipment from the top of the bridge pier on the west bank side, according to the state Department of Transportation.

The closure, which begins Friday at 7 p.m., is the third such closure since a project to replace the bridge’s support cables began in 2009. Reopenings will be staggered, with the northbound lanes reopening by noon June 10 and the southbound lanes reopening by 5 a.m. June 12. Driver needing to cross the Mississippi River should either use the Huey P. Long Bridge in Jefferson Parish or the Veterans Memorial Bridge in St. James Parish.

A release from DOTD said the full closure is needed to remove a large piece of equipment situated atop the bridge’s 400-foot north support tower. The equipment is being moved to the south tower, where the final cluster of cables in need of replacement are located. At the same time the equipment is being moved an expansion joint in the southbound lanes will be removed and replaced.

Contractors with Kiewit Louisiana have been working since September 2009 to replace all of the bridge’s 72 grout-coated cables, which have shown signs of corrosion. The cables have not had maintenance since the bridge opened to traffic in 1983. DOTD said contractors have been working to replace the cables in a design where each cable strand is individually wrapped in plastic. The new design will make it easier to replace individual strands that may wear down before others, and will also dampen vibrations from bridge traffic. The $48 million project is scheduled to be complete by September.

Once the work to remove the equipment from the pier is complete, the northbound lanes will reopen leaving only the southbound lanes closed for the completion of the expansion joint work. In the event of a major emergency, plans will be put into effect to facilitate necessary vehicles crossing the bridge. St. Charles Parish will post information in the event of an earlier-than-scheduled reopening of either set of lanes, according to parish spokesperson Renee Simpson.