PLAQUEMINE - After nearly four months, the Bayou Grosse Tete Draw Bridge is partially back in service.

"This bridge is a vital artery to Iberville Parish because it's one of our exits and entrances into Iberville Parish from the north end," Iberville Parish President Chris Daigle said.

It closed for repairs after it was impacted by a vessel back in June.

Since then, students in the parish have been relying on a pedestrian ferry to get to school. The ferry has become a routine part of resident's day-to-day lives.

"It was out of our control that a barge hit our bridge and now it's affecting us on a daily basis. But, we are excited that we hit this milestone today. We're able to get this bridge back open for temporary hours. The hours that it is closed is for barge traffic," Daigle said.

The project is being funded by the Department of Transportation and Development.

According to their 2023 traffic report, roughly 2,000 people travel the bridge each day.

"It's hard to put a price on it because we're outside of that info. Internally we're expensing everything from the barges where the pedestrian ferry is inward. We're absorbing all of that cost at this time," Daigle said.

Iberville Parish Sheriff Brett Stassi says the last 110 days have not been easy but residents in the parish have remained optimistic.

"It just shows the fortitude of the people from Iberville. If you would've saw those kids getting on the ferry to come across. It just touches you to know what they had to go through and what these parents had to go through. It was a testament to the people of this parish," Stassi said.

The bridge is expected to be fully open no later than December.

It is open until further notice from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. each day. All times in between are for barge traffic only.