Cool video on the construction of the bridge. Many of the parts were prefabricated and shipped by barge from either Port Allen, New Orleans, or Jefferson Parish.

Below the bed of the Basin swamp is about 95' of mud, which complicated the design and construction.

Youtube - The Swamp Expressway

This thing is going to have to be widened pretty soon.

If they built the whole bridge in 3.5 years, they could add an additional inside lane and shoulder in about that amount of time right?

This post was edited on 3/23/21 at 12:54 pm

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Posted by jimbeam

University of LSU

Member since Oct 2011

75703 posts

Posted on 3/23/21 at 12:51 pm to goofball

quote:
if they built the whole bridge in 3.50 Years

quote:
This thing is going to have to be widened pretty soon

Pretty soon as in 15 years ago

This post was edited on 3/23/21 at 12:53 pm

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Posted by crazy4lsu

Member since May 2005

36311 posts

Posted on 3/23/21 at 12:53 pm to goofball

The music in this and other old PBS-like productions was so awesome.

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Posted by whiskey over ice

Member since Sep 2020

3251 posts

Posted on 3/23/21 at 12:54 pm to goofball

This bridge will cost a trillion dollars by the time they get around to replacing/widening it

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Posted by absolute692

US of A, MFer

Member since Feb 2007

3964 posts

Posted on 3/23/21 at 1:40 pm to goofball

quote:
If they built the whole bridge in 3.5 years, they could add an additional inside lane and shoulder in about that amount of time right?

It would take 3.5 years just to do a traffic study to see if expanding it is required.

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Posted by TD422

Destrehan, LA

Member since Jun 2019

480 posts

Posted on 3/23/21 at 2:05 pm to goofball

Nice find, interesting story. Seems counterintuitive to dig a canal to just go ahead and put a bridge in it, but it's amazing to consider the transport route for the materials all the way from Lake P, via barge to the construction site.

And - expressway - there's a term that will show your age. I suspect most people under 40 would look at you cross-eyed if you asked for directions to the "expressway".

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Posted by The Boat

Member since Oct 2008

164042 posts

Posted on 3/23/21 at 2:06 pm to goofball

By the time Louisiana widens the basin bridge we'll be flying over

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Posted by TaderSalad

mudbug territory

Member since Jul 2014

24626 posts

Posted on 3/23/21 at 2:07 pm to goofball

It will never be ready in time

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Posted by bakersman

Grant parish

Member since Apr 2011

5704 posts

Posted on 3/23/21 at 2:08 pm to goofball

It’s been posted a few times before and it’s always great to watch. You couldn’t find many men like that today to get out there and get hip deep in shite

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Posted by PaulBurbank007

Member since Nov 2013

821 posts

Posted on 3/23/21 at 2:09 pm to goofball

Almost didn’t recognize the bridge with out an 18 wheeler up in flames on the shoulder

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Posted by ksayetiger

Centenary Gents

Member since Jul 2007

68266 posts

Posted on 3/23/21 at 2:11 pm to goofball

I remember that time they raised the speed limit to 70.

yeah, that was a cool month

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Posted by SwatMitchell

Austin, TX

Member since Jan 2005

2312 posts

Posted on 3/23/21 at 2:32 pm to goofball

That has to be some high quality concrete - it has held up extremely well with minimal repave etc as far as I know.

I have heard that the longer it takes for concrete to cure (i.e. the longer it stays wet), the more durable it becomes...

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Posted by goofball

Member since Mar 2015

16855 posts

Posted on 3/23/21 at 2:33 pm to bakersman