Southern Tier Section 6 Major Detour Pearl River Bridge

Major Detour Alert

The West Pearl River Bridge (map #87, west of Pearlington, Louisiana) is indefinitely closed to all traffic after inspectors found significant deterioration of the deck supports during a routine inspection. Read the DOT’s emergency announcement here.

There are no easy detours around the closure for bicyclists. One option is to get a ride or rent a vehicle to drive across I-10 using the posted vehicle detour. Bicyclists are prohibited from riding on I-10 and I-59. Another option is to ride a 117-mile detour between Slidell, Louisana and Pass Christian, Mississippi. This detour crosses the Pearl River near Bogalusa, Louisiana. The highways in Louisiana generally have good shoulders, but the highways in Mississippi have narrow to non-existent shoulders. We tried to use backroads as much as possible. Maps of the detour:   Eastbound Detour Map Westbound Detour Map You may have already ridden the Southern Tier, and this alert no longer concerns you. Please feel free to share this information with your cycling community.   For more information on this situation, visit our Temporary ACA Route Road Closure Forum discussion. Be sure to check for other Map Updates and Corrections on all our routes before you leave for a trip. Safe riding, The Adventure Cycling Routes & Mapping Department