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Wilkes Bridge is now mostly open. Here’s what to know.

The Wilkes drawbridge over Bernard Bayou and the Industrial Seaway in Gulfport is shown stuck in the open position in this photo from 2004. Motorists can expect bridge closures nightly through Wednesday while work crews wrap up bridge repairs expected to solve the problem.
The Wilkes drawbridge over Bernard Bayou and the Industrial Seaway in Gulfport is shown stuck in the open position in this photo from 2004. Motorists can expect bridge closures nightly through Wednesday while work crews wrap up bridge repairs expected to solve the problem. Sun Herald File

The final renovations of Wilkes Drawbridge are expected to wrap up this week.

All lanes will be open during the day. But from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. through Wednesday the Mississippi Department of Transportation will close all lanes on Cowan-Lorraine Road (Hwy. 605) in Gulfport. Detour signs will be in place to direct traffic.

The closings are the final steps on renovations started last fall. The $22 million project replaced the bridge’s hydraulics and electrical equipment.

The aging bridge, built in 2004 and a hurricane evacuation route for Mississippi 605, would freeze about once a year, according to MDOT, which has a traffic count of about 32,000 vehicles a day.

This story was originally published July 11, 2022 at 6:12 PM.

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Mona Moore
Sun Herald
Mona Moore was a Service Journalism Desk Editor for the Sun Herald in Mississippi; Mahoning Matters in Ohio; and the Ledger-Enquirer and Telegraph in Georgia. Originally from West Covina, California, she holds a bachelor’s and master’s in corporate and public communication from the University of South Alabama. Mona’s writing and photography have been recognized by press associations in Mississippi, North Carolina and Florida.
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