DOTD releases illustrated publication about Louisiana’s historic bridges
Wednesday, August 05, 2015 at 9:26:07 AM
The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development is excited to announce the release of “Crossing the Bayou: Louisiana’s Historic Bridges”. This richly illustrated publication highlights Louisiana’s bridge building and provides a guide to 150 historic bridges that represent significant engineering designs, important trends and historical events.
The publication provides readers the option to search a historic bridge by name, parish or type. Moreover, each historic bridge is profiled with a photo, description, history and importance. It also identifies the state’s 33 bridges receiving priority for preservation.
Back in 2012, a project team composed of the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, Louisiana State Historic Preservation Office and Federal Highway Administration, joined forces to begin a multi-phase statewide historic bridge inventory for state-owned and parish-owned bridges constructed through 1970.
This effort, composed of three components, included the research on the history of the bridges to develop historic context, a field survey to photograph and document the statewide structures, and the preparation of recommendations of eligibility for the National Register of Historic Places and future preservation efforts.
Later, DOTD sought the help of Mead & Hunt, a national consulting firm that specializes in historic bridges, to assist in completing the historic bridge inventory. The process, which took three years to complete, culminated with release of “Crossing the Bayou: Louisiana’s Historic Bridges”.
A copy of “Crossing the Bayou: Louisiana’s Historic Bridges” is accessible from DOTD and the Division of Historic Preservation’s website.