Calcasieu River Bridge
I-10 Calcasieu River Bridge | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 30°14′14″N 93°14′45″W / 30.2371°N 93.2458°W |
| Carries | 4 lanes of I-10 and US 90 |
| Crosses | Calcasieu River |
| Locale | Between Lake Charles, Louisiana and Westlake, Louisiana |
| Other name | I-10 bridge |
| Maintained by | Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development |
| ID number | 071004509127691 |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Through truss |
| Total length | 6,605.1 feet (2,013.2 m) |
| Width | 52.4 feet (16.0 m) |
| Longest span | 420.8 feet (128.3 m) |
| Clearance below | 135 feet (41 m) |
| History | |
| Designer | N.E. Lant |
| Opened | 1952 |
| Statistics | |
| Daily traffic | 90,000 |
| Toll | Free both ways |
The Calcasieu River Bridge, or the Pistol bridge officially named the Louisiana Memorial World War II Bridge in June 1951 is an arched cantilever, rivet-connected Warren through truss (main span) located on Interstate 10 between Lake Charles, Louisiana, and Westlake, Louisiana. It was the only major bridge in Lake Charles, until the construction of the Lake Charles Loop with the I-210 Calcasieu River High Bridge completed in 1962. It was built under the administration of Gov. Earl K. Long and opened in 1952. It has decorative iron work with crossed guns integrated into the railings. The I-10 Bridge was originally built as the U.S. Hwy 90 bridge and later was grandfathered into Interstate 10.
The bridge has been rated structurally deficient by the Department of Transportation but was declared safe by the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD). There are plans to replace the bridge and improve the Westlake exit.