ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST PARISH, La. (WGNO) — Officials with the Department of Transportation and Development are alerting drivers of repair work set to begin on Interstate 55 southbound in the coming days.

Starting Friday, Oct. 27, crews will start on the temporary repairs that are expected to take as long as two weeks. This comes after a deadly pileup on Monday, Oct. 23 involving 168 vehicles and causing seven deaths.

As of now, only the left lane is being used for travel while repairs are being made on the right lane. Once the work is complete, the left lane will shut down for construction.

Officials say drivers should anticipate seeing contractors on the bridge moving equipment between Ponchatoula and Laplace.

DOTD workers along with a third-party consultant have completed inspections on the bridge to determine how much damage was done. Results will identify the extent of needed permanent repairs.

To stay up to date with repairs, drivers are encouraged to watch the DOTD website. Out-of-state drivers can call 1-888-762-3511, for the latest construction update.

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