Thistlethwaite WMA bridge replacement underway

BATON ROUGE - The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is alerting anyone using Thistlethwaite Wildlife Management Area that the bridge crossing Bayou Wauksha on the east end of Ricefield Road has been closed. 

The Ricefield Road bridge over Bayou Wauksha is being replaced by the Williams Gas Company and construction completion is anticipated in July of 2014.

The bridge will be closed to all vehicles, including ATV’s normally allowed for those users with Physically Challenged Permits, and pedestrian traffic.

In addition to the bridge closure, the Williams Gas emergency access road from the end of Rice Field Road to East Road will be closed to all hunting from the road for the duration of the bridge construction project. That road can only be used by Williams Gas personnel to access gas monitoring facilities at the end of Ricefield Road. 

Thistlethwaite WMA is located in north central St. Landry Parish, immediately northeast of Washington, off Louisiana Hwy. 10.  Access to the WMA via I-49 is also possible by using the Lebeau exit.