Rider Alert: Emergency route detour on Southern Tier
Adventure Cycling is recommending a major detour for cyclists riding the Southern Tier in Louisiana on Map Section 6 (New Orleans to DeFuniak Springs, Florida.)
The West Pearl River Bridge (map #87, west of Pearlington, Louisiana) is indefinitely closed to all traffic as of September 2022 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, Louisiana 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:
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. Ride safe!