Metairie, La. -- The Causeway Bridge is now open in both directions after being closed for a vehicle recovery following Wednesday's accident involving a vehicle that plunged into Lake Pontchartrain.
After
meticulous planning, crews finally lifted a dumptruck from the waters of Lake
Pontchartrain Thursday afternoon.
All of the southbound lanes were
closed at 10:00 a.m. Thursday to let workers prepare to hoist the truck from the lake. Shortly after lunchtime, the northbound lanes were closed to
motorists.
About three hours later, the truck was placed on a flatbed
truck and brought to an undisclosed location on the south shore. However, the
body of the driver, who authorities said is presumed dead, was not found inside
the truck.
Causeway General Manager Carlton
Dufrechou said the truck weighs between 35,000 and 40,000 pounds which
compounded the operation. While he is relieved the vehicle is
out of the water, he was saddened that the driver has not been located.
"It was a tragic situation. We
lost a life. It's another message for everybody to please drive
safely," Dufrechou
stated.
He said dive teams from Jefferson
Parish and St. Tammany would continue searching for the driver. His
name has not been released, yet.
Causeway authorities say Wednesday's accident happened around 5:15 p.m. on the southbound side of the bridge near the five mile marker.
It's still unclear what caused the truck to go into the water.
(STPSO)
