This short report is from my discovery to replace the US 90 bridge over the Rigolets, near Slidell, LA, on August 20, 2005.


US 90 Lake Pontchartrain bridge replacement

As some of you know, I recently transferred from the navy base at Norfolk, VA to Stennis Space Center near Picayune, MS. While taking a break from apartment searching this afternoon, I took a short roadtrip...nothing major, just US 190/US 90/US 11/I-10, a trip I've done several times before, mostly because I enjoy the scenery and the feel of US 90 through easternmost Orleans Parish.

Anyway, I came upon a large bridge project that seems to have just gotten started. At Rigolets Pass (Lake Pontchartrain's outlet point to the Gulf of Mexico) sits one of two REALLY OLD AND NARROW drawbridges on US 90 in the area. The project I saw will be replacing the Rigolets Pass bridge with a newer bridge being built immediately west of the existing bridge. Too early to tell what type of bridge it will be, and the LA DOTD website only mentions the project in its construction report, with a letting date of 6/23/04 and various completion percentages for the project's various contracts.

Will be interesting to see how the project progresses in coming months.  I'll be close enough to where I can monitor the project from time to time.

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(C) 2007, Adam Froehlig