This Bridge In The US Is The Longest In The World

The Lake Pontchartain Causeway is the longest bridge that continuously crosses over a body of water and one of the longest bridges in the world. Louisiana's Lake Pontchartrain Causeway spans a mind-boggling 23.83 miles (38.35 kilometers) across the lake from which it takes its name. In 1969, after the completion of the 50-foot-longer parallel lane, "The Causeway," as it is commonly referred to, claimed the Guinness World Record for the longest bridge over water. However, in 2011, China's Jiaozhou Bay Bridge temporarily took the crown. After it was pointed out that the Jiaozhou Bay Bridge traverses portions of land, subcategories were created, thereby regifting the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway its world record, but this time for the longest continuous bridge over water, while the Jiaozhou Bay Bridge adopted the aggregate designation for the otherwise similar category. With that said, only seven years later, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge succeeded the Jiaozhou Bay Bridge as the world's longest bridge over water (aggregate). 

Where Is The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway?

The Causeway is located in Southeastern Louisiana, in the Southeastern section of the United States. Its Southern terminus is in Metairie, of Jefferson Parish, while the Northern terminus is in Mandeville, of St. Tammany Parish – both of which are suburbs of New Orleans. As the formal name suggests, this 4-lane parallel bridge (2 lanes per bridge) brings motorists over the waters of Lake Pontchartrain – nearly perfectly bisecting the sizable body that extends off of the Gulf of Mexico. The Causeway, therefore, cuts a significant portion off of the daily commute for those coming into and out of the state's most populous city. 

History And Construction Of The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway

As New Orleans began to blossom in the early 20th century, various concepts were proposed to improve access to the North shore of Lake Pontchartrain. Given the consistently shallow depths of the water (10 to 16 feet), one such vision involved creating artificial islands and connecting them with a combination of roadways and additional, developable strips of land. In fact, plots were sold before the project even took off, which in the end, never happened. All the while, the toll-collecting Watson Williams Bridge, aka the Maestri Bridge, and the toll-free Rigolets Bridge were constructed on the Eastside of Lake Pontchartrain. These imperfect solutions kept the momentum going for the budding metropolis. 

Eventually, with ongoing demand and improvements in construction technologies, the decision to build Lake Pontchartrain Causeway was made, and in 1954 the Louisiana Bridge Company was formed for this very purpose. Construction began the following year, with the first concrete pilings (of which there would eventually be 9,500) being placed on May 23, 1955. Amazingly, despite the enormity of the project, the ribbon was cut on August 30 of the following year. The cost of the whole undertaking was $46 million (USD), and at the time, the toll was $1.00 per direction. 

Because the driving distance and corresponding gas fare were so significantly reduced, The Causeway quickly saw upwards of 3,000 vehicles per day making the straight-shot journey. By the 10th anniversary, daily traffic had surged to about 5,300 vehicles. This continued demand, therefore, dictated adding a second two-lane bridge, which was completed on May 10, 1969, for a grand total of $30 million USD.

The average height of the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway is 15 to 16 feet, but there are three 25-foot-high sections and two 50-foot-high sections that allow larger vessels to pass under. There is also a bascule (i.e., manned drawbridge) approximately 8 miles South of the North shore that accommodates the largest of lake freighters (up to 60 feet).

In 1999, the Northbound tolls were removed to ease traffic congestion, while the Southbound toll was raised to $3.00 (cash), and $2.00 with a toll tag. Then, in 2017, the fees were again raised to $5.00 (cash) and $3.00 (tag) to fund safety improvements. 

The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway is truly a marvel of modern engineering and a point of pride for Lousianians. This set of parallel bridges runs for just shy of 24 miles, making it the longest bridge in the United States and the longest bridge over water (continuous) in the world. This surreal drive across the brackish waters of Lake Pontchartrain is a must for anyone visiting The Pelican State, and specifically, the greater New Orleans area.