The Surrey Street bridge over the Vermilion River in Lafayette that was closed because emergency repairs were needed on it, could be closed to traffic for more than half a year.

Lafayette Consolidated Government is set to hire Huval & Associates to design emergency repairs to the bridge, which was closed last month after receiving a state inspection warning that it was near failing.

The design and construction work is expected to keep the bridge inoperable for as long as eight months.

Public Works Director Mark Dubroc says repairs will cost an estimated $500,000. However, a completely new bridge would cost about $3 million and two years to construct.

 

More From 99.9 KTDY