If you’re a Greater New Orleans resident, you know the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway all too well. It may even be a part of your morning commute. (Fun fact, did you know some of the best drivers in the nation are in New Orleans?) While this impressive bridge may be white noise to locals, it has a fascinating history as the longest bridge in Louisiana that you may be surprised to learn.

The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, more commonly known as The Causeway, connects Mandeville with Metairie.
Art Wager/iStock / Getty Images Plus Collection via Getty Images
The bridge opened in 1956, but the idea for the bridge had been swirling about since the early 19th century when Bernard de Marigny (the founder of Mandeville) had the idea and began a ferry service that operated well into the mid-1930s.
The 1920s were the initial stages of planning out this long bridge in Louisiana.
Denis Dwyer / Google Reviews
The first draft of the proposal included creating artificial islands over the lake that would link a series of bridges together. The plan was to also build houses on these islands for people to purchase, which would help fund the project.
It wasn’t until 1948 that the bridge we know and love today started to take shape.
Navin Rajagopalan/Flickr
Ernest M. Loeb Jr. began lobbying for the project, creating the Louisiana Legislature, which is now known as the Causeway Commission. The Louisiana Bridge Company was formed to construct the bridge, and construction began.

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Originally, the Causeway was a single, two-lane bridge that clocked in at 23.86 miles long.
Formulanone/Flickr
It opened to the public in 1956, and many of you may remember these days. Pretty narrow, nowhere to pull over, and dangerous if you happened to catch a flat or have a breakdown… it was a white-knuckle drive for sure!
It didn’t take long for a second bridge to be built, and it opened in 1969.
Art Wager/E+ Collection via Getty Images
The first bridge cost $46 million and the second bridge came in at $30 million.
Since the Causeway opened, this long bridge near New Orleans has been a toll bridge.
Ken Lund/Flickr
For many years, you’d have to pay a toll ($1.50 each way) on both sides of the bridge. To help with the congestion on the south shore, the tolls in Metairie were removed in 1999 and adjusted to pay $3 on the Northshore side. In 2017, the toll was increased to $5 to help fund improvements to the bridge.
For many decades, the Causeway was listed by Guinness World Records as the longest bridge over water in the world.
XKarDoc/iStock / Getty Images Plus Collection via Getty Images
And we wore that badge proudly! In 2011, the Jiaozhou Bay Bridge in China was built and stripped us of our title. It became quite the controversy, as the bridge in China goes over land at some parts, while the Causeway does not. It was determined that while China’s bridge runs for a total of 26.5 miles, it spans water for only 16.1 miles, while the Causeway spans 23.79 miles, continuously over water. A clear winner, right? Well the folks at Guinness decided to create two categories to make everyone happy. The Causeway holds the title of being the longest bridge over water (continuous) while the Jiaozhou Bay Bridge is the longest bridge over water (aggregate).

Take the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway for a scenic day-trip to Fontainebleau State Park. Learn more about this beautiful state park in this video:

Not only is the Causeway the longest bridge in Louisiana, it is still one of the longest in the world – pretty neat, huh? Do you remember when there was just one single bridge? How about when they tore down the Metairie tolls? Share your memories with us in the comments!

Then, check out these problematic intersections in New Orleans that make you want to pull out your hair. How many of them do you have to deal with?

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More to Explore

Bridges In New Orleans

Chris Muras | February 27, 2024

What are some interesting bridges in New Orleans?
New Orleans is a city that has a rich cultural history. Some of the history revolves around some of its iconic bridges. Here are some interesting bridges in New Orleans that you might not know the history of:

  • Huey P. Long Bridge: This iconic bridge in New Orleans is an old two-track railroad bridge bordered by two three-lane highways that cross the Mississippi River. The bridge opened in 1935 as the first bridge to span the Mississippi River in Louisiana. It does have a sordid past that leads many to believe it is now haunted by several ghosts of men who died during its construction. Legend has it, that there are men buried in the concrete blocks holding the bridge in place.
  • Crescent City Connection: This slightly more modern bridge also crosses the Mississippi River giving drivers on US Highway 90 a means to travel from downtown New Orleans to the Westbank. It was built in 1958, at the time, it was the longest cantilever bridge in the world. An interesting thing about this bridge is that Business US 90 West travels eastbound, while Business US 90 East heads westbound because of the twisting nature of the river.
  • Frank Davis "Naturally N'Awlins" Memorial Bridge: This bridge was named after an iconic news personality from the local WWL-TV station. It crosses over Lake Pontchartrain from New Orleans East to Slidell. The bridge originally opened in 1965, but due to extensive damage from Hurricane Katrina, it was re-built starting in 2006 so that it could better withstand extreme storms.

Get to know New Orleans as viewed from the mighty Mississippi River on a paddle-wheel boat ride and dinner cruise with live music and incredible Creole-inspired dinner.

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Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, Louisiana, USA