CATAHOULA PARISH, La. (KALB) - The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development is spending more than half a million dollars to replace one of Central Louisiana’s only ferry crossings after years of mechanical problems and closures.

Louisiana operates three ferries statewide and assists in the management of an additional two , with the Catahoula Duty Ferry crossing being the only state-operated one north of Interstate 10.

“To put it in perspective, the old ferry was built in 1946,” said Erin Buchanan, a Louisiana Department of Transportation official. “With any piece of equipment or infrastructure that reaches that age, of course, comes with a host of maintenance issues.

For the year of 2024, KALB found the Duty Ferry experienced up to 24 closures , redirecting drivers an

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