Lake Pontchartrain Causeway
St. Tammany Parish, St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana
Marker Inscription
Lake Pontchartrain Causeway. At 23.87 miles long, the Causeway is the world's longest bridge over water. The first span was completed in August 1956. Due to increased traffic, a second span opened in May 1969. The Causeway piloted major construction of prefabricated, prestressed concrete bridges in the United States. It is supported by more than 9,000 concrete pilings. Construction of the Causeway expanded the Greater New Orleans area to include the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain.
The Story
When its first span opened in August 1956, the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway stretched nearly 24 miles across open water, and a second span followed in May 1969 to handle growing traffic. Carried on more than 9,000 concrete pilings, it pioneered large-scale use of prefabricated, prestressed concrete bridge construction in the United States. The crossing knit the lake's north shore into the Greater New Orleans area.
Why it matters
A record-setting feat of mid-century American engineering, it reshaped a whole region's settlement by making the far shore an easy commute.
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Lake Pontchartrain Causeway Bridge
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