All northbound lanes of Interstate 49 between Exit 119 at Cloutierville and Exit 127 at Cypress reopened following a temporary closure while towing and recovery crews cleared the scene of a commercial vehicle fire.
According to the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development notified deputies at approximately 9:30 a.m. that the northbound lanes were closed to allow crews to remove a commercial vehicle that had burned the previous night near mile marker 127.
During the closure, northbound motorists were detoured off I-49 at Exit 119 in Cloutierville. Drivers were directed onto Louisiana Highway 119, then north on Louisiana Highway 1 toward Cypress, before taking Louisiana Highway 120 back to I-49 northbound.
Deputies initially estimated that the recovery operation would take approximately 1.5 to two hours.
Lt. M. Powell was on the scene representing the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s office later issued an update confirming that all lanes had reopened to traffic.