Fort Pike Bridge, Road bridge between Orleans Parish and St. Tammany Parish, United States
Fort Pike Bridge is a road bridge that crosses the Rigolets strait and connects New Orleans with Slidell via U.S. Route 90. The structure uses box girder construction and allows ships to pass underneath with a clearance of about 72 feet (22 meters).
Construction of the bridge began in October 2004 but faced delays from Hurricane Katrina before its completion in January 2008. It replaced an earlier swing bridge, marking a significant advancement in how the region moved traffic across the strait.
The bridge provides access to Fort Pike State Historic Site, which presents exhibits about military operations and coastal defense systems point.
The bridge has two lanes and shoulder areas that provide space for vehicles to pull over if needed. Weather conditions can change quickly when crossing water, so drivers should adjust their speed accordingly.
The bridge replaced an older swing bridge that required stopping traffic whenever a ship needed to pass through. This shift in design shows how transportation priorities changed as automobile traffic grew in the region.
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