MEDIA ADVISORY: Coast Guard to hold public hearing for Sunshine Bridge investigation

News Release

U.S. Coast Guard 8th District Heartland Contact: 8th District Public Affairs Office: (504) 671-2020 After Hours: (618) 225-9008 Eighth District online newsroom

MEDIA ADVISORY: Coast Guard to hold public hearing for Sunshine Bridge investigation

WHAT: The Coast Guard is scheduled to conduct a public hearing to consider evidence related to the Kristin Alexis formal marine casualty investigation.

WHEN: The hearing is scheduled to convene at 8 a.m. May 6 and continue until May 11.

WHERE: Lamar Dixon Expo Center, 9039 S St Landry Ave., Gonzales, LA 70737

NEW ORLEANS – The Coast Guard is scheduled to conduct a public hearing to consider evidence related to the Kristin Alexis formal marine casualty investigation beginning Monday, May 6, 2019, at the Lamar Dixon Expo Center in Gonzales, Louisiana, Tuesday.

The hearing will focus on the overhead strike of the Highway 70 Sunshine Bridge in Donaldsonville, Louisiana, which severely impacted the local community for several weeks while the bridge was impassible and out of service.

The media and the public are invited to attend.

A Coast Guard spokesperson is scheduled to give interviews May 5 preceding the hearings to answer questions from the media, time and location to be determined. The hearing will be streamed live each day at: https://livestream.com/USCGinvestigations/events/8638209.

The Coast Guard established an email address for the public and interested parties to provide information, ask questions and make comments related to the ongoing investigation during the hearing. This e-mail will be checked regularly and all correspondence will be acknowledged. The email address is sunshinebridgehearing@gmail.com.

The Coast Guard will also continue to monitor any email sent to accidentinfo@uscg.mil and all information sent to that address will be reviewed and responded to.

Additional information about the hearing, to include the schedule of witnesses, fact sheets and biographies, as well as any future news releases and documentation, will be shared prior to the start of the public hearing.

Media planning to interview Coast Guard spokespeople during the media availability or planning to attend the hearing must R.S.V.P. by calling (504) 274-7656. Press credentials and valid government-issued photo identification are required for media access into the hearing 

Members of the public who wish to attend the hearing must present valid government-issued photo identification. There will be a one-hour break for lunch each day of the hearing. Lunch will not be provided.

-USCG-