The historic Magnolia Bridge will undergo major repairs and a new paint job starting next month, and work is expected to continue through next year. The bridge, which overlooks Bayou St. John, will most likely be closed during several major festivals, including Jazz Fest.

Crews will start work repairing and replacing parts of the bridge in late February, with work capping off in early 2019. Cheryn Robles, community outreach manager with the New Orleans Department of Public Works, told a group of residents at Cabrini High School on Wednesday that work will close the bridge for about a year.

“We’re working as much as we can to minimize the impacts, but you are going to know that we’re here,” she said.

The $1.5 million project will remove and repair compromised metal grating, sandblast structural paint, repair and replace damaged structural beams, install bank stabilization pilings, repair sidewalks and replace existing bollards. Crews will also remove the cracked and warped wooden deck and replace it with a composite material with the look of wood, said Alan Weber, with the Department of Public Works. The composite has a lifetime of 50 years, as opposed to wood, which cracks over time.

“It’s a composite material, and unlike wood it won’t warp, it won’t be subject to termites and infestation,” Weber said.

Crews will also install a cable barrier system and ramps for accessibility. A tent-like containment will be placed over the bridge during sandblasting to prevent any of the old lead particles from ending up in the bayou or nearby homes.

Crews will also repaint the bridge Federal Blue; a lighter blue color chosen specifically for the historic bridge by a colorist, Robles said. Several people at the meeting argued against the color, opting for an ombre effect of blues from the sky to the water or even the bridge’s original silver color. Robles said several colors were originally chosen, but cost prevented anything too fancy.

Crews are authorized to work from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on the weekdays, with occasional permission on weekends when necessary.

Activists and community members have attempted for years to repair, improve and rebuild parts of the bridge, with occasional success. Linda Landesberg, president of the Faubourg St. John Neighborhood Association, said the repairs are a long overdue necessity, though the construction will affect residents adversely.

The bridge is scheduled to be closed during the Bayou Boogaloo and Jazz Fest, forcing festival-goers to find another way to Moss Street. Hundreds of people walk across the bridge during Jazz Fest every year, and neighbors expressed concern that the closure would severely disrupt one of the most popular pedestrian walkways to the party.

Councilwoman Susan Guidry suggested waiting to see what work crews have completed by then and, if plausible, opening up a pathway just for the two weekends.

“Otherwise my husband is going to start a taxi boat service,” she said.

The bridge was built in the 1800s and originally included streetcar tracks. A center piling allowed the bridge to rotate sideways, allowing boats to pass on either side. The bridge was restored in the 1930s and several times since then, though it no longer opens up to passing watercraft.

The repairs are part of a $2.4 billion capital improvement program that includes more than 200 individual projects and about 400 miles of roadway. The Magnolia Bridge project is funded by the Regional Planning Commission, Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development and city bond funds. The project is engineered by Volkert, Inc. and Hard Rock Construction, LLC were chosen for the bid.

Robles cautioned pedestrians from coming too close to the bridge during construction and to mind safety signage and barricades. Crews will be instructed not to park too far into the neighborhood, though there will be additional cars and construction equipment in the area. Large construction equipment will be stored along the banks of the Bayou when it’s being used, Robles said, which drew some concern from neighbors.

“We protect the Bayou with our lives,” Landesberg said. “[Equipment] really destroys the banks of the Bayou.”

There is funding to repair sodding along the banks, Weber said. Canoes, boats, rafts and all other waterway vehicles should avoid the bridge as well, especially during heavy construction.

Those with questions or concerns about the project, the crew or how the work is affecting the neighborhood are asked to reach out to Robles at 504-658-ROAD (7623) or via RoadWork@nola.gov.