Repair work continues on the M/V St. Francisville’s propeller, the vessel that runs at the St. Francisville/New Roads ferry landing The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) announced today.

Ferry service stopped Dec. 10 when it was discovered that the vessel’s propeller was damaged because of low water levels in the Mississippi River. As water levels drop the propeller will sometimes hit the river bed or debris causing damage.

While repairs continue on the M/V St. Francisville, DOTD has scheduled the M/V New Roads, which was damaged during Hurricane Gustav, for a final inspection with the U.S. Coast Guard.

 “Our goal is to restore service before Christmas,” said DOTD Maintenance Engineer Kevin Reed. “If the M/V New Roads passes its inspection with the Coast Guard we will put it into service first.”

The schedule for the St. Francisville/New Roads ferry is 6 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. Sunday through Saturday.

Before traveling, drivers should call the Ferry Toll-Free Information line at 1-888-613-3779 for the status of the ferry, or visit the “Ferry Status” page on the right-hand side of the DOTD Web site.

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www.dotd.la.gov