A lower bridge will require that the larger ships dock farther downstream. Building a shorter bridge will cut off large ship traffic, at least to one major industrial player in the region. So, there are calls for the new bridge to be significantly shorter. It is typical to see a large truck significantly reduce its speed because of the slope of the climb. Visiting in person and driving on the structure is the only way for one to get a feel as to how much of a climb is required to reach the summit. The pictures do not really capture how steep this bridge actually is. Of course, the questions are of an economic and industrial nature. There have been talks for years to have the existing I-10 Bridge replaced, but there are plenty of obstacles to overcome. With 50,000 vehicles using the roadway daily, often, vehicles stall in one of the two lanes in either direction making it very dangerous, especially for those in the stalled vehicle since exiting their vehicles put them either in a traffic lane or in a freefall.
The four lane roadway is also extremely narrow, a mere total of approximately 52 feet. Due to vibration caused by vehicles, the lights continue to break and fail and are seldom lit. Local NBC affiliate, KPLC, reported more than once that the bridge “is no stranger to accidents” and “has a long history of wrecks.” The most notorious happened in 1981 when 3 people died (eight injured) in a 26-vehicle pileup after an 18-wheeler ruptured a fuel tank on a night in August. Also, even the railing that depicts Jean Lafitte’s guns, is said by the NBI to “not meet currently acceptable standards.” There are over 72,000 bridges, or about 12 percent, in the United States that bear the same rating. This problem is not distinct to Lake Charles or Minneapolis.
This should not put any of us at ease since the same rating was given to the I-35W Mississippi Bridge in Minneapolis, Mn that collapsed in 2007 during rush hour, killing 13 people.
A rating of 3 denotes a structure is “basically intolerable requiring high priority of corrective action.” This designation does not barr traffic on the roadway, but speed and weight limits are put into place. In 2009, the Louisiana DOTD released a statement proclaiming “the Interstate 10 bridge in Lake Charles is safe” despite receiving a Structural Evaluation rating of 3 by the NBI on a 0-9 scale. That was about half a century ago, and since then, the I-10 Bridge has been designated ‘Structurally Deficient’ by the National Bridge Inventory (NBI), a database compiled by the Federal Highway Administration, a division of the United States Department of Transportation (DOT). At the time the federal government assumed control of the structure, they promised that it would be replaced at a later date. It was built as part of the Louisiana highway system, but was later taken over by the federal government and adopted into the Interstate Highway System. Long, brother of legendary former Louisiana governor and U.S. The Lake Charles I-10 Bridge was built in 1952 under the governorship of Earl K. Before the bridge was built, road traffic was stopped hundreds of times per month while large ships passed after a drawbridge had been raised. The chemical industry is such a big part of southwestern Louisiana culture, the I-10 bridge was built at its towering height to allow for passage of the giant ships to dock farther upriver to support the area’s many industries whose growth was sparked by the oil refining booms of last century. These industries are the major sources of air, soil, and water pollution/contamination in Mossville and surrounding areas (I’ll write about the environmental racism/classism plauging this region at a later date). It lies in the densest area of the 10-mile radius of Calcasieu Parish that is home to over 50 industrial factories. Mossville, Louisiana is a community founded by descendents of former slaves. But, Jean Lafitte’s contraband did not only consist of material treasures, he also smuggled slaves into the state. Legend says that Jean Lafitte buried some of his smuggled contraband in the area. Even though the reason for the crossed pistols is not universally agreed upon, many hold it to be true that it is a gesture to celebrate the legacy of pirates who frequented Southwest Louisiana waterways, the most famous being Jean Lafitte. The railing features crossed pistols that span its length. The design of the bridge itself is reflective of the culture of the region where it stands.
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