The Highway 53 overpass over Interstate 59 was closed for approximately three hours Tuesday night because a man threatened to jump from the bridge.

The Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department was called to the scene at 9 p.m., said Chief Deputy Shane Tucker. After an hour and a half of speaking with the man, Sheriff’s Department personnel were able to convince him to come off the edge of the bridge before he was transported by ambulance for psychiatric assistance, Tucker said.

Traffic was also diverted off of exit 29 on I59 until the scene was cleared at about midnight.