The Judge Perez Bridge, also known as the Belle Chasse Bridge, is a

vertical-lift bridge A vertical-lift bridge or just lift bridge is a type of movable bridge in which a span rises vertically while remaining parallel with the deck. The vertical lift offers several benefits over other movable bridges such as the bascule and sw ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

which carries northbound Louisiana Highway 23 over the

Gulf Intracoastal Waterway The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway is the portion of the Intracoastal Waterway located along the Gulf Coast of the United States. It is a navigable inland waterway running approximately from Carrabelle, Florida, to Brownsville, Texas. The waterwa ...

between Belle Chasse and Terrytown. The bridge is paired with the Belle Chasse Tunnel which carries southbound LA 23. Construction began in March 1967, and the bridge opened for traffic in September 1968. It has been plagued with mechanical issues since it opened. Commuters have had to back down off the bridge due to a malfunction. The bridge was built to relieve traffic from the Belle Chasse Tunnel. It was part of a parish project of four-laning Highway 23 throughout the road's entire length to

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The isla ...

. According to the ''Plaquemines Gazette'', the $3.3 million structure was built by Plaquemines Parish using its Parish Royalty Road Fund without charge to local taxpayers. Boh Brothers worked on its construction."Multi Million $ Intracoastal Waterway Bridge Dedicated", ''Plaquemines Gazette'', September 13, 1968.

References

Road bridges in Louisiana Bridges completed in 1968 Vertical lift bridges in Louisiana Buildings and structures in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana Buildings and structures in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana 1968 establishments in Louisiana {{Louisiana-bridge-struct-stub