Carries 4 lanes of I-310 Locale St. Charles Parish Opened 1992 | Crosses LaBranche Wetlands Maintained by LA DOTD Length 7.902 billion m | |
Total length 7,902 m meters (25,925 feet) Location St. Charles Parish, Louisiana Similar Maestri Bridge, Hale Boggs Memorial, Bonnet Carré Spillway, Manchac Swamp Bridge, Atchafalaya Basin Bridge | ||
The LaBranche Wetlands Bridge is a concrete trestle bridge in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a total length of 7,902 m or 25,925 ft, it is one of the longest bridges in the world. The bridge carries Interstate 310 over the LaBranche Wetlands in St. Charles Parish. The bridge opened in 1992.
The LaBranche Wetlands Bridge was constructed using a method known as "end-on construction" to avoid damaging the environmentally sensitive LaBranche Wetlands. This is a top-down technique in which construction platforms are mounted on concrete piles to avoid disrupting the environment below. From these platforms, the next set of piles and bridge viaducts are placed, allowing the platform to progress forward for the next set. The bridge won the 1992 Build America award in the Highway Division category.