The Office of the Mayor of the City of Crowley has given notice that the Avenue H Bridge across Bayou Blanc will probably remain closed for a minimum of 30 days.  Under the State of Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development Off-System Bridge Replacement Program, a routine inspection was conducted by that agency in mid-July.  The result of that inspection was a finding that all five support pilings below the bridge’s middle spans were found to be either significantly deteriorated or completely crushed.  DOTD issued a letter to the Acadia Parish Police Jury, the body charged with the responsibility to administer bridge inspections, describing the critical nature of this finding.  The Acadia Parish Police Jury responded by closing the bridge to traffic until the structural problems are resolved.  The City of Crowley is now in the process of engaging the services of a structural engineer to prepare the plans and specifications required to procure a construction contractor who can repair the damaged and failed pilings. It has been estimated that it will take at least 30 days for the structural engineer to be hired and complete the plans, for the city to enter into a construction contract with a capable and interested contractor, and for the contractor to order and take delivery on the construction materials, complete the repair work, and reopen the bridge to traffic.