The Grit behind Louisiana’s Atchafalaya Basin Bridge

The people who helped build Louisiana were brave. Over and over again, those responsible for bringing infrastructure and allowing for growth in the Pelican State faced the swamplands. One notable example is when engineers and workers faced a swath of wilderness that extends down the center of Louisiana, full of liquid mud, water and jungle growth. 


Louisianans are tough and really always have been. From the guys with the chainsaws, to those navigating boats and the crews responsible for research and constructing – a feat of engineering was accomplished in Louisiana in 1973. The Atchafalaya Basin Bridge in Iberville Parish and  St. Martin Parish earned the distinction of being the third longest bridge in the United States, spanning a staggering 96.095 feet or 18.2 miles. So close to being 20 miles in length, it is referred to by some locals as the “20 Mile Bridge.” Today, the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge maintains the title as the 2nd longest bridge on the U.S. interstate system and the 14th longest in the world by length. 


But how did they construct a bridge that long without so many of the benefits of modern technology? 


They waded through the swamps collecting data, for starters – and assessed the area for years. All in an effort to find the most stable location for the exceptionally long bridge over swampland.  


Massive crews conducted geotechnical investigations of the depths and as a result produced hundreds of borings, or samples from drilling down. This was all to get an idea of what was below: “a sea of muck 95 feet deep resting on a stratum of hard sand,” according to a vintage Louisiana Department of Highways video. The 28 foot elevation of the bridge permits flood waters to pass through to the Gulf. 


Crews toiled with chainsaws to clear a swath of swamp 300 feet wide. At the center, they dredged a waterway – a canal for construction 125 feet wide, which could hold barges that housed equipment and served as working platforms for workers. 


The bridge was constructed in three parts in a plant 250 water miles away, so transport required using natural waterways and became a game of logistics. The transport of the bridge for assembly demanded four solid days of technical towing: through towns and locks, and across lakes and rivers as they snaked their way to the jobsite. 


The job of the 18-mile bridge was broken into three different job sites and the project was kept running smoothly by the superintendent via radio. It was a tremendous undertaking that demanded fortitude, strength and commitment from all those involved. That effort became an engineering marvel which ended up spanning the Atchafalaya Basin at its widest point. 


When next crossing the bridge, consider the teams of men who waded through that area and those who invested years of effort to make it happen.

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