Smaller ferry set for New Roads

• Advocate Baker - Zachary bureau
• Published: Sep 29, 2009 - Page: 1B

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The state Department of Transportation and Development said Monday the 35-car ferry in service at the New Roads/St. Francisville location will be temporarily replaced with a 17-car vessel.

The 35-car ferry, M/V New Roads, which is being taken out of service to allow crews to repair its fuel vents, will return to service Saturday, the agency said in a news release.

There are vehicle restrictions for the 17-car ferry. Those restrictions include no trailers, and vehicles can have no more than two axles and no more than six wheels. Large trucks and trailers should use the Interstate 10 Mississippi River Bridge, the statement says.

The New Roads/St. Francisville ferry operates every day between 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Before traveling, drivers can call the toll-free ferry information line at (888) 613-3779 for the status of the ferry, or visit the “Ferry Status” page on the right-hand side of the DOTD Web site.

Drivers can also access updates on the ferry through Twitter by visiting http://www.twitter.com/StFran_Ferry.

By creating a Twitter account, drivers can receive automatic updates on the ferry’s status via their Twitter Web page or text message. For questions about DOTD’s Twitter page or any other DOTD-related questions, contact DOTD’s Customer Service Center at (877) 4LA-DOTD (877) 452-3683). The center’s normal business hours are 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.