The Maestri Bridge (originally known as the Pontchartrain Bridge and later as the Watson-Williams Pontchartrain Bridge and the Five Mile Bridge) carries U.S. Route 11 (US 11) across

Lake Pontchartrain Lake Pontchartrain ( ) is an estuary located in southeastern Louisiana in the United States. It covers an area of with an average depth of . Some shipping channels are kept deeper through dredging. It is roughly oval in shape, about from west ...

between

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

and Slidell,

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 ...

, in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. The bridge was the longest concrete bridge in the world upon completion. It is wide and has two bascule-type draw spans for passing vessels and barges.

History

The bridge opened on February 18, 1928, as the first permanent crossing of Lake Pontchartrain. The

New Orleans Stock Exchange The New Orleans Stock Exchange, or the New-Orleans Stock Exchange, was a regional stock exchange based in New Orleans, Louisiana. As early as 1880, the exchange's sales of stock reached a reported total of $7,891,300. The exchange moved into a ne ...

was closed on the day of the opening, a Saturday, to allow members to attend the opening. The bridge was originally a toll structure, costing $1.25 for a motor vehicle with one driver plus ten cents for each additional passenger. Louisiana Governor

Huey Long Huey Pierce Long Jr. (August 30, 1893September 10, 1935), nicknamed "the Kingfish", was an American politician who served as the 40th governor of Louisiana from 1928 to 1932 and as a United States senator from 1932 until his assassination ...

was opposed to toll bridges and offered to have the state purchase the bridge from its private owners. The offer was rejected, so Long constructed two free bridges to the east along

U.S. Route 90 U.S. Route 90 or U.S. Highway 90 (US 90) is an east–west major United States highway in the Southern United States. Despite the "0" in its route number, US 90 never was a full coast-to-coast route. With the exception of a short-lived ...

(US 90) across

Chef Menteur Pass The Chef Menteur Pass is a narrow natural waterway which, along with the Rigolets, connects Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Borgne in New Orleans, Louisiana. It begins at and follows a generally southeastward course. In the days of sailing ships, muc ...

and the

Rigolets Rigolets is a 12.9 kilometer (8 mi) long deepwater strait in Louisiana. "Rigolets" comes from the word ''rigole'', French language, French for 'trench' or 'gutter'. The name is now locally pronounced "RIG-uh-leez". The strait begins at and ...

Pass. With a free alternative, the toll bridge faced financial ruin and was sold to the state in 1938 for $940,000. Following the purchase, the bridge's name was changed to the Maestri Bridge in honor of

Robert Maestri Robert Sidney Maestri (December 11, 1899 – May 6, 1974) was mayor of New Orleans from 1936 to 1946 and a key ally of Huey P. Long Jr. and Earl Kemp Long. Early life Robert Maestri was born in New Orleans on December 11, 1899, the son of, Fr ...

, the

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

of New Orleans from 1936 to 1946. US 11, formerly cosigned with US 90 across the Chef Menteur and Rigolets Bridges, was rerouted onto the Maestri Bridge around 1941. In 2005,

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...

virtually destroyed the

I-10 Twin Span Bridge The I-10 Twin Span Bridge, a nearly causeway officially known as the Frank Davis "Naturally N'Awlins" Memorial Bridge, consists of two parallel trestle bridges. These parallel bridges cross the eastern end of Lake Pontchartrain in southern Louis ...

to the east. However, due to its sturdy construction, the Maestri Bridge was largely undamaged and was the only route to New Orleans from the East until the Twin Spans could be temporarily fixed, as US 90 was also closed due to damage to the

Fort Pike Bridge The Fort Pike Bridge (also known as the Rigolets Bridge), named after nearby Fort Pike, carries U.S. Route 90 across the Rigolets on the eastern side of Lake Pontchartrain between New Orleans and Slidell in Louisiana. It is owned and operated ...

. The bridge was closed in January 2012 for repairs. LA DOTD awarded a $5.7 million contract to rehabilitate the bridge's railings. It reopened on May 21. It was closed once more in January 2019 as part of a $28.6 million overhaul to the bridge.

References

Bridges in New Orleans Bridges completed in 1928 Buildings and structures in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana Road bridges in Louisiana U.S. Route 11 Bridges of the United States Numbered Highway System Transportation in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana Bascule bridges in the United States Former toll bridges in Louisiana 1928 establishments in Louisiana Concrete bridges in the United States {{Louisiana-bridge-struct-stub

History

See also

References