Fort Pike Bridge | |
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The old bridge seen from Fort Pike, 2003 |
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Other name(s) | Rigolets Bridge |
Carries | 2 lanes of US 90 |
Crosses | Rigolets |
Locale | New Orleans and Slidell, Louisiana |
Design | Through truss swing bridge(old), Box girder bridge(new) |
Total length | 3,877.9 feet (1,182 m) |
Width | 20 feet (6 m) (old), 40 feet (12 m) |
Longest span | 399.8 feet (122 m) |
Clearance below | 14.9 feet (5 m)(old), 72 feet (22 m) (new) |
Opened | June 9, 1930 (old) January 15, 2008 (new) |
The Fort Pike Bridge (also known as the Rigolets Bridge) carries U.S. Route 90 across the Rigolets on the eastern side of Lake Pontchartrain between New Orleans and Slidell, Louisiana. The bridge opened on June 9, 1930 and along with the Chef Menteur Bridge provided a free route between New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast. A new span was constructed just to the north of the old span.
Construction of a new $50 million high-rise bridge began in October 2004. It was delayed by the Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which pushed a devastating storm surge through the area. The new bridge is just over one mile (1.6 km) in length and features two 12-foot (3.7 m) lanes with 8-foot (2.4 m) shoulders on both sides. The bridge rises to 72 feet (22 m) to allow marine traffic to pass without interruption of bridge traffic. The new span opened to traffic on January 15, 2008. After completion, of the new span, the old bridge was demolished.[1]
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