Calcasieu River Bridge
The Calcasieu River Bridge, officially named the Louisiana Memorial World War II Bridge in June 1951 is a through truss located on Interstate 10 between Lake Charles, Louisiana and Westlake, Louisiana. It was the only major bridge in Lake Charles, until the construction of the Lake Charles Loop with the I-210 Calcasieu River High Bridge began in 1962, with an average annual daily traffic (2009) of 51,800. The bridge has a vertical clearance of 135 feet (41 m). It was built under the administration of Gov. Earl K. Long and opened in 1952. It has decorative iron work with crossed guns integrated into the railings. The I-10 Bridge was originally built as the U.S. Hwy 90 bridge and later was grandfathered into Interstate 10.
I-10 Calcasieu River Bridge | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 30°14′14″N 93°14′45″W |
| Carries | I-10 and US 90 |
| Crosses | Calcasieu River |
| Locale | Between Lake Charles, Louisiana and Westlake, Louisiana |
| Other name(s) | I-10 bridge |
| Maintained by | Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development |
| ID number | 071004509127691 |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Through truss |
| Total length | 6,605.1 feet (2,013.2 m) |
| Width | 52.4 feet (16.0 m) |
| Longest span | 420.8 feet (128.3 m) |
| History | |
| Designer | N.E. Lant |
| Opened | 1952 |
| Statistics | |
| Toll | Free both ways |
The bridge has been rated structurally deficient by the Department of Transportation but was declared safe by the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD). There are plans to replace the bridge and improve the Westlake exit.