by T. Scott Boatright

Lincoln Parish drivers should be on alert because traffic on the Hwy. 167 overpass in Ruston is down to one lane after a piece of the concrete highway reportedly fell to Interstate 20 Saturday evening.

According to all reports, no one was injured.

The left lane of the southbound overpass has been closed as a result.

That overpass is maintained by the Louisiana Department of Transportation (DOTD).

The Cooktown Road and the US 167 overpass in Ruston are the two oldest Interstate 20 overpass bridges from the East Coast to southwest Texas where I-20 finally ends, intersecting with I-10.

The Louisiana DOTD has plans to replace the Cooktown Road overpass with a three roundabout system of roadway exchange but has not yet announced plans for upgrading the Hwy. 167 overpass.

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