The Sunshine Bridge is a
cantilever bridge
A cantilever bridge is a bridge built using structures that project horizontally into space, supported on only one end (called cantilevers). For small footbridges, the cantilevers may be simple beam (structure), beams; however, large cantilever ...
over the
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...
in
St. James Parish, Louisiana. Completed in 1963, it carries
Louisiana Highway 70
Louisiana Highway 70 (LA 70) is a state highway in Louisiana that serves St. Mary Parish, Louisiana, St. Mary, St. Martin Parish, St. Martin, Assumption Parish, Assumption, and Ascension Parish, Louisiana, Ascension parishes. It is primarily a two- ...
(LA 70), which connects Donaldsonville on the west bank of Ascension Parish with Sorrento on the east bank of Ascension Parish as well as with Gonzales on the east bank of Ascension Parish. The approach roads on the east and west banks begin in Ascension Parish before crossing into St. James Parish.
The bridge is a convenient river crossing for residents of Baton Rouge,
Hammond, and the
Florida Parishes
The Florida Parishes ( es, Parroquias de Florida, french: Paroisses de Floride), on the east side of the Mississippi River—an area also known as the Northshore or Northlake region—are eight parishes in the southeastern portion of the U.S. stat ...
to travel to the Bayou cities of
Morgan City,
Houma and
Thibodaux
Thibodaux ( ) is a city in, and the parish seat of, Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, United States, along the banks of Bayou Lafourche in the northwestern part of the parish. The population was 15,948 at the 2020 census. Thibodaux is a principal city ...
as well as vice versa. The bridge plays an important role in storm evacuation and in industrial development along the Mississippi.
From its opening in 1964 through August 15, 2001, a 50-cent toll was collected on traffic crossing to the west bank. The toll was discontinued by an act of the
Louisiana Legislature
The Louisiana State Legislature (french: Législature d'État de Louisiane) is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is a bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 represent ...
, authored by Louisiana State Representative Roy Quezaire (D-Donaldsonville), whose district included the bridge.
Bridges to Nowhere
The bridge gained national attention in 2008 when it became part of the
Bridge to Nowhere
A bridge to nowhere is a bridge where one or both ends are broken, incomplete, or unconnected to any roads. If it is an overpass or an interchange, the term overpass to nowhere or interchange to nowhere may be used respectively. There are f ...
controversy which arose during the
US Presidential Election
The election of the president and the vice president of the United States is an indirect election in which citizens of the United States who are registered to vote in one of the fifty U.S. states or in Washington, D.C., cast ballots not dire ...
. Focused primarily on the Alaskan Governor/Vice Presidential Candidate
Sarah Palin's efforts to secure federal funding for the
Gravina Island Bridge
The Gravina Island Bridge, commonly referred to as the "Bridge to Nowhere", was a proposed bridge to replace the ferry that currently connects the town of Ketchikan, Alaska, United States, with Gravina Island, an island that contains the Ketchikan ...
, the Sunshine Bridge was placed into the same category. While the only bridge across the Mississippi between
and
Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge ( ; ) is a city in and the capital of the U.S. state of 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-sma ...
when it opened for traffic in 1964, its south end then emptied into a swamp, and for years it awaited funding to connect it to LA 70 and other roads. When this occurred, the economy in this area grew by leaps and bounds, largely due to the improved transportation.
Much of the criticism involved residual resentment from the bridge being named to recognize Governor
Jimmie Davis
James Houston Davis (September 11, 1899 – November 5, 2000) was an American politician, singer and songwriter of both sacred and popular songs. Davis was elected for two nonconsecutive terms from 1944 to 1948 and from 1960 to 1964 as the ...
.
Built under his administration, Davis had twice picked and sung his way into the Governor's Mansion with hits like "
You Are My Sunshine
"You Are My Sunshine" is a song published by Jimmie Davis and Charles Mitchell on January 30, 1940. According to Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI), the song has been recorded by over 350 artists and translated into 30 languages.
In 1977, the Louis ...
"
and whose horse, which he rode into the Governor's office at his second inaugural, was also named Sunshine.
2018 Barge collision and closure
On the morning of October 12, 2018, a crane being transported on a barge operated by Marquette Transportation collided with The Sunshine Bridge. The crane was reportedly being transported while its boom was still in an upright position. Due to extensive damage done to a main load carrying span, the Sunshine Bridge was immediately closed to all vehicle traffic for emergency repairs. These repairs were expected to be completed in late January or early February 2019. The eastbound lanes were projected to reopen in April, and the bridge was planned to be fully reopened in August.
The loss of this Mississippi River crossing meant that traffic was required to take a significant detour to either the
Gramercy Bridge
The Gramercy Bridge (officially the Veterans Memorial Bridge), is a cantilever bridge over the Mississippi River connecting Gramercy, Louisiana in St. James Parish, Louisiana, St. James Parish with St. John the Baptist Parish. It is the second ne ...
or the
Horace Wilkinson Bridge
The Horace Wilkinson Bridge (locally known as the New Bridge) is a cantilever bridge carrying Interstate 10 in Louisiana across the Mississippi River from Port Allen in West Baton Rouge Parish to Baton Rouge in East Baton Rouge Parish. Around th ...
, a detour that was at least in length. Extensive signage warning motorists of the bridge closure well in advance was erected on each side, including detour signs at the interchange of
Interstate 10
Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost cross-country highway in the American Interstate Highway System. I-10 is the fourth-longest Interstate in the United States at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. This freeway is part of the originally pl ...
and
LA 22
LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States.
La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Music
* La (musical note), or A, the sixth note
* "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figur ...
, which connects to
LA 70
Louisiana Highway 70 (LA 70) is a state highway in Louisiana that serves St. Mary, St. Martin, Assumption, and Ascension parishes. It is primarily a two-lane highway that spans .
Route description
LA 70 begins at an exit from U.S. Highway 90 in ...
some north of the bridge.
Gallery
Image:Sunshine Bridge 1.jpg, Sunshine Bridge Sunset
Image:Sunshine Bridge 2.jpg, Sunshine Bridge Side View
Image:Sunshine Bridge 3.jpg, Sunshine Bridge in Fog
See also
*
List of crossings of the Lower Mississippi River
This is a list of bridges and other crossings of the Lower Mississippi River from the Ohio River downstream to the Gulf of Mexico. Locations are listed with the left bank (moving downriver) listed first.
Crossings
See also
*List of crossings of ...
References
External links
Sunshine Bridge and the Acadian Thruway*
{{Crossings navbox
, structure = Crossings
, place =
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...
, bridge = Sunshine Bridge
, bridge signs =
![Louisiana 70](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b2/Louisiana_70.svg)
, upstream =
Plaquemine Ferry
The Plaquemine Ferry is a ferry across the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana, connecting Plaquemine and Sunshine. The ferry has a current capacity of 35 standard vehicles and operates on the half hour schedule.
See also
*List of ...
, upstream signs =
![Louisiana 75](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9a/Louisiana_75.svg)
, downstream =
Gramercy Bridge
The Gramercy Bridge (officially the Veterans Memorial Bridge), is a cantilever bridge over the Mississippi River connecting Gramercy, Louisiana in St. James Parish, Louisiana, St. James Parish with St. John the Baptist Parish. It is the second ne ...
, downstream signs =
Bridges over the Mississippi River
Bridges completed in 1963
Buildings and structures in St. James Parish, Louisiana
Road bridges in Louisiana
Transportation in St. James Parish, Louisiana
Former toll bridges in Louisiana
Cantilever bridges in the United States