Traffic

The Wilkes Bridge is back in service. But when will it be fixed?

By Karen Nelson

July 09, 2018 11:04 AM

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 lane closures and delays through Thursday while work crews perform road work and bridge repairs.
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 lane closures and delays through Thursday while work crews perform road work and bridge repairs. Sun Herald File
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 lane closures and delays through Thursday while work crews perform road work and bridge repairs. Sun Herald File
Gulfport

The Wilkes drawbridge on Lorraine Road, stuck in the up position since midday Sunday, is functioning again.

The Mississippi Department of Transportation brought in a hydraulic specialist to examine the motors of the bridge Monday morning.

T.J. Ladd, assistant district engineer with MDOT, said they are beginning to remove the barricades to allow traffic across the bridge again.

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

It and the Fort Bayou Bridge near Ocean Springs are slated for major $10 million renovations within the next few years to replace electrical, computers and the hydraulic motors.

The third drawbridge on the Coast, on Interstate 110 in Biloxi, was renovated two years ago.

Karen Nelson can be reached at 228-896-2310 or @NelsonNews_SH

Lane closures on U.S. 90 in Biloxi due to construction of a pedestrian overpass at MGM Park in Biloxi is causing problems for motorists on 90 and southbound I-110. This is going to be a problem for several months.

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