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The Louisiana Department of Transportation & Development is preparing to begin permanent repairs for the portion of I-55 impacted by a multi-vehicle accident on Monday, Oct. 23, according to an announcement made this morning.

According to DOTD, the inspection results for northbound lanes show that a partial deck replacement is needed for the impacted area due to extensive breakage.

“The top portion of the deck will be removed,” said the announcement. “Once complete, crews will replace that top layer with a modified concrete overlay.”

Contractors will begin mobilizing next week. Assuming no new damages are discovered, the northbound repairs could take up to two weeks to complete once they begin.

DOTD and its contractors have already begun permanent repairs to the southbound lanes.

Contractors are currently working on the right lane in the area at the crash site, removing the damaged portion of the deck, and preparing to begin patching.

According to the announcement, “DOTD plans to temporarily close I-55 southbound for a six-hour period sometime this weekend.”

During this closure, the single-lane restriction near the accident site will be shifted, allowing Interstate 55 southbound to reopen. Traffic will then be funneled down to the right lane near the accident site as crews work on repairing the left lane.

Those repairs may also take up to two weeks to complete. Once done, all of I-55 southbound will be permanently repaired and open to the public.

DOTD will provide updates on the closure details as they are finalized. Motorists should anticipate repair work on both the north and southbound decks in the weeks ahead. Southbound travelers are advised to remain vigilant and aware of the working crews on-site, while northbound travelers will continue to use Old US-51 as an alternate route for the time being.