The Atchafalaya Basin Bridge, also known as the Louisiana Airborne Memorial Bridge, is a pair of parallel bridges in the U.S. state of

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

between

Baton Rouge Baton Rouge ( ; , ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It had a population of 227,470 at the 2020 United States census, making it List of municipalities in Louisiana, Louisiana's second-m ...

and Lafayette which carries

Interstate 10 Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost transcontinental highway in the Interstate Highway System of the United States. It is the fourth-longest Interstate in the country at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. It was part of the origina ...

over the

Atchafalaya Basin The Atchafalaya Basin, or Atchafalaya Swamp (; Louisiana French: ''Atchafalaya'', ), is the largest wetland and swamp in the United States. Located in south central Louisiana, it is a combination of wetlands and river delta area where the Atch ...

. With a total length of , it is the third longest bridge in the US, the second longest on the interstate system, and 14th-longest in the world by total length. The bridge was opened to the public in 1973, construction was said to have begun in 1971. At the time of its completion, it was the second longest bridge in the United States, behind the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway Bridge. The bridge includes two exits: one for Whiskey Bay ( Louisiana Highway 975) and another for Butte La Rose (LA 3177). While the bridges run parallel for most of their length, they merge when crossing the Whiskey Bay Pilot Channel and the

Atchafalaya River The Atchafalaya River () is a distributary of the Mississippi River and Red River of the South, Red River in south central Louisiana in the United States. It flows south, just west of the Mississippi River, and is the fifth largest river in N ...

. The average daily traffic count is (as of 2015) 30,420 vehicles. Accidents occur frequently near the two river crossings as both are very narrow and lack shoulders. Accidents along the bridge can be problematic as the Atchafalaya Basin is sparsely inhabited. In 1999, Governor Mike Foster lowered the speed limit on the bridge from . In 2003, the

Louisiana Legislature The Louisiana State Legislature (; ) is the state legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is a bicameral legislature, body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 ...

enacted new traffic regulations for the bridge. The speed limit for 18-wheelers was lowered to , and they must remain in the right lane while crossing the bridge.

Bridge renamed

The United States Army Airborne Forces (paratroopers and glider soldiers) was created by executive order and the

82nd Airborne Division The 82nd Airborne Division is an Airborne forces, airborne infantry division (military), division of the United States Army specializing in Paratrooper, parachute assault operations into hostile areasSof, Eric"82nd Airborne Division" ''Spec Ops ...

was formed at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana in March 1942. One of the main objectives of the division, and all airborne divisions was for

paratroopers A paratrooper or military parachutist is a soldier trained to conduct military operations by parachuting directly into an area of operations, usually as part of a large airborne forces unit. Traditionally paratroopers fight only as light inf ...

and glider borne forces to seize bridges for regular follow-on forces to use. The 82nd Airborne Division Association put forth a challenge in 1988, to member chapters in all states, to pursue having a bridge in their state designated as an Airborne Memorial Bridge. The Acadiana Chapter of the 82nd Airborne Division Association, created January 1980, in

Lafayette, Louisiana Lafayette ( , ) is the most populous city in and parish seat of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, Lafayette Parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana, located along the Vermilion River (Louisiana), Vermilion River. It is Louisiana's List of municipaliti ...

with headquarters in

, petitioned the Louisiana Legislature and on July 10, 1989, act 793 was passed, and the bridge was renamed the Louisiana Airborne Memorial Bridge.

Welcome center

There is a visitor's center at mile marker 121 (La. Route 3177), with 18-wheeler parking. The Acadiana chapter secured funding to erect a monument to the

which was dedicated on October 20, 1990.

Bridge condition

As of September 2010, inspection showed the deck condition rating: satisfactory (6 out of 9), the superstructure condition rating: satisfactory (6 out of 9), the substructure condition rating: satisfactory (6 out of 9), and the sufficiency rating: 92.9 (out of 100)

Cameras

There are multiple cameras mounted on the bridge (viewable to the public) at the beginning of the west side at mile marker 121 (LA 3177) east and west, at mile marker 124.5 east and west, at mile marker 127 (Whiskey Bay and LA 975) east and west, at mile marker 131.5 ( Butte Larose east and west, and at the east end at mile marker 135 (LA 3000/Ramah Rd.) east and west.Camera (mm 135- west)
- Retrieved 16 April 2013

References

* * * {{Crossings navbox , structure = Crossings , place =

, bridge = Atchafalaya Basin Bridge , bridge signs = , upstream =

Krotz Springs Bridge The Krotz Springs Bridge, officially named the Frank and Sal Diesi Bridge, is a pair of continuous truss bridges in the U.S. state of Louisiana which carry US 190 over the Atchafalaya River at Krotz Springs. Although it was long rumored that ...

, upstream signs = , downstream = Long-Allen Bridge , downstream signs = Atchafalaya River Buildings and structures in Iberville Parish, Louisiana Buildings and structures in St. Martin Parish, Louisiana Road bridges in Louisiana Interstate 10 Bridges on the Interstate Highway System Bridges completed in 1973 Transportation in St. Martin Parish, Louisiana 1973 establishments in Louisiana Transportation in Iberville Parish, Louisiana

Bridge renamed

Welcome center

Bridge condition

Cameras

See also

References