For the last one and a half years, school buses could not pass over the Columbus Road Bridge near Forked Island/E. Broussard Elementary because the busses were too heavy for the old wooden bridge. No longer.

A new $350,000 cement bridge was completed Tuesday and buses were able to drive over the new bridge Wednesday morning.

Forked Island/E. Broussard Principal Chris St. Romain said the bus drivers were happy, with the new bridge opening.

Because of the cement construction, there is no weight limit on the new bridge.

The School Board declared many old bridges in the parish unpassable by school busses because the school bus weighed more than the bridge could handle based on the state’s weight sign in front of the bridge.

Sellers and Associates, an engineering firm from Vermilion Parish, is in charge of repairing the old bridges.

Guinn Brothers of Jennings was the general contractor for the Columbus Road Bridge.

This is the second one completed over the last six months. The first new bridge is on Cedric Road in the North Vermilion area.

The Cedrc Bridge cost $332,000 and Guinn Brothers Contractors built the first bridge.

The Police Jury received a $100,000 grant from the state to help repair the bridges. Half of the grant money was used to repair the Cedric Road Bridge and the other half was used to repair the Columbus Road Bridge. The Police Jury funded the rest of the cost.

The next three bridges scheduled to be upgraded for heavy loads are the bridges in the Forked Island area. The bridges on Cuz Road, Community Road and Sweet Bay Road, near La. 335 and La. 693, are the next three to be repaired.