Lake Charles bridge

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They just need to tear that thing down . Build a new one.

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The new one will have ice on it in weather like this too.

Did the funding for the new bridge get cut? Last time I checked it was a done deal.

When Clay Higgins tries to take credit for any new infrastructure improvements in SW LA, remind him that he voted against Biden's infrastructure bill.

Who is going to pay for it? Nobody wants to raise the gas tax that hasn’t increased in 30 years.

You want a toll bridge on I-10 because that’s how you get a toll bridge on I-10.

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it's probably not as bad as they are trying to make it sound

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It's worse.

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Did the funding for the new bridge get cut? Last time I checked it was a done deal.

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It was dependent on getting a toll authority set up for it.

Now the bridge that exists today is not tolled. So people rightfully complained, especially the local logistics and distribution companies that use it daily.

The new design will be lower and wider - I believe the deck will be 6 lanes with shoulders and much more gentle approaches with better lighting and alignment. It's a great design. I just don't know why the state thought that it would be a good idea to replace an existing toll-free bridge with a tolled bridge. It's going to happen, it will just take longer.

On the contrary - the new bridge south of Baton Rouge absolutely should be tolled. It's an entirely new bridge and not replacing anything. Tolls can help generate enough revenue to cover maintenance and a dedicated revenue stream that the state can use to issue bonds against to cover some of the construction as soon as its approved.

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When Clay Higgins tries to take credit for any new infrastructure improvements in SW LA

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Then he must also take responsibility for the crappy state of infrastructure in south Louisiana. Not just in his district.

The area around Baton Rouge, the north shore of Lake Ponchatrain, the area around Lake Charles, and the Lafayette area are consistently posting gains in job growth and industrial expansion even as other parts of the state struggle. Yet those areas are the most neglected when it comes to transportation infrastructure (especially BR, Lafayette, and Lake Charles).

We should be looking at those new bridges on priority, widening I-12, expanding 3127 northward, and trying to figure out how to pay for eventually widening the basin bridge/I-10. Despite all the hurricanes, that's the part of the state with the most job growth - which means more population growth.

Why does it matter if it is completely new or just a replacement?

Cost to build is cost to build no matter if it was there before or not.

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Yeah I just don't understand why they built the bridge deck so high with such an acute angle at the top (which means a bigger blind spot to the other side until you reach the crest).

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It needed to be high enough for ships to pass underneath when it was built.

Ships no longer have a need to go that far North now so a replacement won't need to be near as high.

It would have had to be much longer (and more expensive) to not have such an acute angle at it's peak.