Bridging Lake Pontchartrain
The bridging of St. Tammany Parish and Orleans Parishes had been an issue of public interest from before the age of the automobile. Rail and ferry crossings of the lake were already well established by the time automobile bridges were contemplated in the 1910s. A great deal of public interest and propaganda developed regarding the earliest proposals of an auto bridge across Lake Pontchartrain or adjoining waters.
Access: Driving
Distance: ~50 miles, ~1-1.5 hours.
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Pontchartrain Causeway Assoc. vs. Watson-Williams & Co.
Two bids were placed to construct the bridge across Lak Pontchartrain. From late 1924 until a decision was made in February 1925, The Times-Picayune reported frequently on construction proposals…
Maestri Bridge
The first bridge built across the Pontchartrain was the Watson-Williams Toll Bridge, also known as the Five-Mile Bridge and now the Maestri Bridge; the Louisiana Highway Commission approved its…
Chef Menteur Pass Bridge
The Chef Menteur Pass Bridge offered free access to and from New Orleans, helping to make the Northshore of Lake Pontchartrain and the rest of the Gulf Coast more accessible to the city. Political…
Rigolets Bridge
The Rigolets Bridge opened on June 9, 1930, as one of the first public bridges crossing Lake Pontchartrain in Louisiana. It spanned almost 3,900 feet and carried U.S. Highway 90 connecting New Orleans…Tour curated by: Graham Cooper & University of New Orleans History Department