Louisiana Begins Highway 495 Realignment Near Cloutierville

Long-closed section of Louisiana Highway 495 near Cloutierville is being rebuilt after embankment slides damaged the road.

Updated on Nov. 14, 2026 in Construction

Photograph of a flat rural Louisiana road corridor under construction, with cleared earth, a yellow excavator, a riverside embankment, and a new paved alignment curving into the distance. — The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development began work Monday to reopen a nearly nine-year-closed section of Highway 495 near Cloutierville by realigning it away from the river. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development has begun construction to reopen a Highway 495 section near Cloutierville that has been closed for nearly nine years. Crews are realigning two sections of LA-495 away from the river, with construction starting the week of November 14, 2026.

Why it matters

The closure has forced drivers onto a nearly mile-long detour since embankment slides damaged the road. Reopening the route restores a direct connection for travelers across the region.

The project carries a projected cost of $1.3 million and is expected to take about four months, after a section that has been closed for nearly nine years. The source does not specify how the timeline could shift with weather or other factors.

The players

Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development

The state agency responsible for planning, building, and maintaining Louisiana's highways, bridges, and other transportation infrastructure.

The details

Crews are clearing and grubbing vegetation and trees in the project area before building new pavement on the realigned sections. Drivers cannot pass through the work zone during construction, though local traffic can still travel between the two work sites, and drivers heading north or south can use Highway 1 to reconnect with Highway 495.

Nearly nine years before November 2026: Highway 495 section near Cloutierville closed.
Week of November 14, 2026: Construction started on the Highway 495 project.
About four months after construction start: Projected completion of the project.

Construction Context

Rerouting LA-495 away from the river follows the approach of relocating road segments exposed to riverbank erosion instead of rebuilding them on the same failing embankment. The project is a case of moving the roadway rather than repeatedly patching damage at its original alignment.

Drivers heading through Cloutierville should plan for the detour around the closed section until construction is finished. Local traffic can still pass between the two work sites while the project proceeds.

The takeaway

Long-term road closures can persist for years when damage requires full realignment, and drivers should check current construction status before traveling a detour route. The Highway 495 project shows how state agencies can move roadways away from failing riverbanks to restore a permanent connection.