The 8 Highest Bridges in Louisiana - Are They All Safe?

8. Calcasieu River Bridge

The picturesque Calcasieu River Bridge is a staggering 6,605 feet long and has a 135-foot clearance vertically. Many people live in the Lake Charles area of Louisiana, and many more love to visit the beautiful lake. The Calcasieu River Bridge has a massive amount of captivating history behind it. The nickname “Pistol Bridge” is due to the beautifully ornate crossed-barrel pistols that adorned the inside of the railing at one point. These pistols represent none other than the Louisiana legendary Jean Lafitte’s pistols. The legend says that Lafitte, in fear of capture, buried a large amount of treasure nearby and, since he believed a shootout was possible, hid his pistols in the railing of the bridge.

This bridge, though massively historical, needs work due to safety issues. In October 2023, the bridge project received funding. Let’s hope the new bridge sees fewer issues than the old one did.

7. Huey P. Long Bridge

The Huey P. Long Memorial Bridge was the first bridge to cross the Mississippi River into New Orleans and still remains a highly important bridge. Prior to the construction of the expansive bridge, railcars and trucks had to be ferried across the Mississippi River. The city now has a better connection to the railways on both banks.

The Huey P. Long Bridge is 154 feet high off the water and has a total length of 22,995 feet. Though the bridge is one of the strongest steel-frame bridges in the country, it needs updating to remain safe. It has more than 100,000 vehicles cross it daily and has scored low on its inspections.

6. Hale Boggs Memorial Bridge

The Hale Boggs Memorial Bridge or as many know it as the Luling Bridge is located near Luling, near Lake Charles. It has a 157 feet clearance to the water and is 2,744 feet long. Phenomenally, it was the first high-level, long-span, cable-stayed bridge in the U.S. The bridge is safe and, due to the many updates in late 2023, remains safe.

5. Gramercy Bridge

The Gramercy Bridge is a large-scale cantilever bridge over the Mississippi River that connects St. James Parish with St. John the Baptist Parish. The bridge is 3,101 feet long and has a 165-foot clearance to the river. Like any highly traveled bridge, it sees plenty of accidents, but the bridge itself is structurally sound and safe.

4. Crescent City Connection Bridge

Historically, the Crescent City Connection has been wrought with protests, accidents, and other drama. It sees 63 million people cross it annually, making it one of the nation’s busiest bridges. The twin steel truss cantilever bridge is one of the beautiful sights when entering the city of New Orleans.

The bridge is 13,428 feet long and sits 170 feet above the river, making it one of the highest bridges in Louisiana. The bridge is checked thoroughly over the course of one month annually and is structurally sound. It is a very congested bridge, and accidents do occur frequently.

3. Sunshine Bridge

The lovely Sunshine Bridge is yet another of Louisiana’s cantilever bridges. It crosses the Mississippi River and connects three areas of Ascension Parish, including Donaldsonville, Sorrento, and Gonzales. The bridge is 8,236 feet long and stands 170 feet above the Mississippi River below. In 2018, a crane on a barge hit the bridge, and it shut down until repairs could be made and checked, then reopened in 2019. In 2023, gauges were installed on the bridge to monitor a crack, though it is believed the bridge is still safe for travel.

2. Horace Wilkinson Bridge

Our number two highest bridge in Louisiana belongs to the Horace Wilkinson Bridge, a continuous steel truss through deck style bridge. It is 4,550 feet long and stands 175 feet above the Mississippi River. The bridge connects east with west Baton Rouge and is notorious for traffic delays in the morning. It averages roughly 90,000 vehicles a day, which is huge. The bridge scares some drivers because of its steep grade, but the grade is only 2%.

The bridge is congested but receives routine and thorough inspections. Many of the Louisiana bridges are structurally deficient and in need of repairs. One as busy as the Horace Wilkinson Bridge should get a lot of attention.

1. John James Audubon Bridge

The John James Audubon Bridge blows the socks off the other bridges regarding height. It is 2.2 miles long (11,616 feet) and stands 502 feet off the Mississippi River. The sky-high cable-stayed bridge is the connection between Pointe Coupee and West Feliciana. The bridge is also fairly new, which contributes to its safety rating being high. The bridge was opened in May 2011 and took four long years to build.

Unlike many of the older bridges facing scrutiny over their safety, the John James Audubon Bridge is well-maintained, and it shows. The design is very clean and has a newness to it, unlike many of the other bridges. There’s something nice about driving on such a fresh and clean-looking and feeling bridge that starts the day off right.