the Huey P. Long bridge (1 Viewer)

[robsmith32]

that's news that's about 50 years late..
wow
Something, when i drove it everyday, in a 79 olds delta 88.... ya know. big car.. at first it was a few times, i even decided, nah I'll drive around and use the GNO(pre crescent city connection) but after months it was ok, just went like nothing passing semi's.. years later trying to go across that in a much smaller vehicle, was like going 1st time. and white knuckled all the way across...

ps, i never drove the right lane on that thing.. no way, no how. didnt' care if ticked people off.

 

[danny1063]

Just great! First they tear down the Zephyr and now they’re gonna make the Huey P. safe. What? Do they something against thrill rides???

 

[Hey Beerman]

They should keep that thing elevated past Airline, or better yet all the way to I-10.

 

[Broadmoor74]

The Huey P. belongs in an amusement park. Riding over it in a school bus was the scariest experience of all time. You look out the window and you're so close to the railing that you can't see it. Only God's earth and water below....only to be jolted back into reality by the bus hitting the curb.

 

[Goats]

They should keep that thing elevated past Airline, or better yet all the way to I-10.

Then Harahan would look like the west bank

 

[Paul]

I've never had an issue doing 85+ on the Huey P. You people are wimps.

Me: "Sorry officer, I was just trying to get the hell off that thing."

 

[gboudx]

I've never had an issue doing 85+ on the Huey P. You people are wimps.

Me: "Sorry officer, I was just trying to get the hell off that thing."

Man, when I was young and dumb, I'd do 60+ in the right lane for the pure thrill of it. Passing 18 wheelers was a must. Even better if there was a train passing over it and causing the bridge to shake. My passengers would just about wet themselves, but I had vinyl seats so I didn't care.

 

[helofixer]

I hope they are planning to put some lighting on that bad boy. I drive across it twice a day and when its night or especially when its raining at night you cant see anything! The paint and reflectors are long gone. I noticed in the animation there are no lightpoles shown on the upslope or downslope. Man I hope didnt overlook this little issue.

 

[wamland]

I remember driving over that thing when I was in the Coast Guard. We would be towing a 19 ft pontoon boat behind a Suburban. Get a little wind and a semi and a train at the same time.......made flying through the bayous in pitch darkness seem safe.

 

[JOElittleBIGhorn]

Yeah, my idiot driving instructor took me over that bridge. Must have had a death wish.

That's exactly how my parents forced me to drive. They wouldn't allow me to get my license until I could drive the Huey P. I still avoid it when I can.

50mph? Wow, people down there must've got cautious in the past few years.

Going from the Westbank to Eastbank, I especially like small move to the left just as you get across the river, near the top. Almost seems like the 2 sides didn't meet up straight as it was being built. It's odd.

That's because they didn't meet. IIRC Huey couldn't get the state to give him enough money to build it, so he just built it about halfway. Then he's like "hey, we already got it halfway, fork over the cash and let's finish this sucker off"

 

[TheBigEasy99]

Going from the Westbank to Eastbank, I especially like small move to the left just as you get across the river, near the top. Almost seems like the 2 sides didn't meet up straight as it was being built. It's odd.

I know. Apparently the builders thought that it wasn't quite dangerous enough so they decided to add an extra degree of difficulty.

Personally, as someone who drives across the bridge on a regular basis, I'm having mixed emotions. It's nice that it'll be safer (my first car accident was on that bridge) and it's nice that it won't take 45 FREAKIN' MINUTES to get from the West Bank Expressway to the east bank side in the mornings, but man...

There's nothing like taking a group of unsuspecting out-of-towners for a drive across that bridge. Passing even large trucks is exciting in itself. Passing 18 wheelers (for someone who's not used to it) can be absolutely terrifying.

 

[hardhead233]

I've heard that as dodgy as that bridge looks and feels, it's actually one of the safer and more cared for bridges around here, due to the fact that it's one of the few rail crossing over the Mississippi.

That doesn't make me feel better when a huge truck is trying to pass me, though.

It must be because while it is VERY scary to drive over, I don't remember in my lifetime it falling/collapsing and killing people, while the Claiborne Bridge is not anywhere near as scary as the Huey P but has fallen twice and killed people just in the last 20 years or so..

 

[shaqtaw]

when i was younger i remember an 18 wheeler ran our family in to the curb, and we had to drive almost the entire length of that piece of %*&* bridge with a flat tire. talk about terrified as a 10 yr old

 

[Three Monkeys]

http://www.timedla.com/bridge/long/activity/

Project update from LA DOTD

 

[apjung]

50mph? Wow, people down there must've got cautious in the past few years.

Going from the Westbank to Eastbank, I especially like small move to the left just as you get across the river, near the top. Almost seems like the 2 sides didn't meet up straight as it was being built. It's odd.

Yeah, it was a miscalculation. Hopefully this flaw will be corrected with the expansion.

Speaking of miscalculations I think that the rebuilt 3 lane Westbank bound approach to the first CCC bridge was also a bit flawed as you notice that it dips down right around the start of the HOV lanes in the CBD.