NEW ORLEANS—
The Florida Avenue Bridge will be closed to all vehicular traffic at 5:45 PM today (following the afternoon curfew) due to an electrical problem. The bridge will then remain in the raised position (open to marine traffic) and will be lowered only for rail traffic until repairs are complete.Also, Deep draft marine traffic on the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal (IHNC) may cause the bridges across the canal to be raised tomorrow morning during curfew hours, when the bridges normally stay in the down position to reduce vehicular traffic.
On Wednesday, Nov 25th, a deep draft vessel will enter the IHNC in New Orleans at approximately 6:30 a.m. causing the raising of the St. Claude Avenue Bridge. As the vessel heads towards up the IHNC , the Claiborne Avenue Bridge (Judge Seeber Bridge) and the Florida Avenue Bridge will also be raised approximately between 7 a.m. and 7:30 a.m.
Normal curfew hours are from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and from 3:30 p.m. to 5:45 p.m., Monday through Friday, except federal holidays. Normally, the bridges would not draw for marine traffic at those times. However, poor lighting conditions and damage to the IHNC lock is requiring deep draft vessels to be moved through the lock during daylight hours only, and the curfew must occasionally be broken to assist in the accommodation of deep draft vessels.
