Posted in New Orleans
September 27, 2018
6 Rare Photos Taken During The Huey P. Long Construction That Will Simply Astound You
For many New Orleanians, the thought of crossing the Huey P. Long Bridge brings back memories of fear and dread. For decades, this bridge was infamous for being incredibly narrow and somewhat dangerous for cars. It has since been widened (hooray!) but let’s take a look back at the construction of this famous bridge and how it came to be a historical engineering landmark.
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Although the idea of building the bridge dates back much further. The Southern Pacific Railway company proposed the idea back in 1892, but engineering challenges combined with the beginnings of the Great Depression halted further work on the project.
Contracts were signed on December 30th and then construction started the very next day.
The process was fairly smooth, only being interrupted by a rise in water levels and a month-long strike in 1933. The bridge was opened to the public in December 1933 and named after Governor Huey P. Long, who has been assassinated earlier that same year.
And it held the title for being the longest railroad bridge in the world for about 18 years.
If you ever had the (dis)pleasure of driving down this incredibly narrow bridge prior to the expansion, you’ll remember how scary it was.
The seven-year long construction was broken down into four-phases, and was finally completed in 2013. The expansion was the first change to the bridge since it opened in 1935, and it updated the bridge from two nine-foot lanes to three 11-foot lanes with a (much needed) shoulder.
Do you remember driving the Huey P. prior to the expansion? Share your stories in the comments below!
