BUTTE LA ROSE, La. (KLFY) — Work started Monday to dismantle the old pontoon bridge to Butte La Rose.

Installing its replacement could take a full year, and people are already making adjusting to minimize the impact.

Disassembly of the Butte La Rose Pontoon Bridge is not only cutting people off from one way in and out of town, but also from a lot of resources they’re used to having.

When it comes to groceries and a hot meal, Butte La Rose’s options are limited.

People like Gabriel Speyer drove 10 minutes down the road to Henderson, but without the Pontoon bridge, it’s now a half-hour trip at least without traffic.

“I can’t say there’s been a single week, I haven’t stopped at the (Henderson Highway) One Stop,” Speyrer told News 10. “We call it Ahmed’s store and it’s a great place.”

Days before the pontoon bridge closed Ahmed Kady made an announcement for his loyal customers.

“Hello, all my customers from Butte La Rose,” his Facebook video started. To alleviate the pain of an hour round trip, Kady said Henderson Hwy One Stop will start deliveries for anyone who can’t make the trip the day the bridge closed.

Ahmed Kady’s post read:

“To all our great customers and supporters from Butte la Rose community. Henderson Hwy one stop (old Amy’s) Will start Delivering from tomorrow to our customers. We will have delivery at 12 clock an also 6 clock. Call an make your orders an we will deliver it to u.we star taking orders from 8am to 11:30am all morning order will deliver at 12pm an all the order from 12pm till 5:30pm will be delivered at 6pm.to make order call 3374344019 or 3375224284.”

“That’s the only way for us to help these people is to deliver food to them,” Kady emphasized.

So twice a day, at noon and 5 P.M., he loads up his car, drives a half hour both ways on the interstate, and hand delivers whatever people need for a five-dollar charge.

Given traffic can often extend that trip, Speyrer told News 10, “I was thinking it was a great idea. I know that for a fact there are a lot of people out here who decided to retire, and they have neighbors, friends, and family who get them concessions and things like that and being able to have food delivered out here, I think, is just a great thing for the community.”

Ahmed Kady and the Henderson Highway One Stop have delivered before when black ice covered the road or after hurricanes before but nothing close to this one-year effort. Kady hopes that even though the two communities’ ties are severed, for now, like the pontoon bridge, they can still feel like next-door neighbors.

“It doesn’t feel right, you know, but we’re trying. I’m trying not to make the customers feel like Henderson Hwy is far away from them. We’re trying to make it closer to Butte La Rose. Whatever it costs us, we’ll do it,” Kady concluded.

If everything runs according to schedule, the pontoon bridge will be closed until February 6, 2023, when a state-of-the-art two-lane bridge swing span bridge is installed.

The community plans to repurpose the 1930’s era pontoon bridge off the water for the Butte La Rose community to continue to enjoy.