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Manchac Swamp Bridge: Difference between revisions

Coordinates: 30°18′11″N 90°24′21″W / 30.302946°N 90.405807°W / 30.302946; -90.405807
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With a total length of {{convert|22.80|mi|km}},<ref>{{Cite web |title=Manchac Swamp Bridge |url=http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/manchac-swamp-bridge-2 |access-date=May 2, 2019 |website=Atlas Obscura |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Manchac Swamp Bridge, one of the longest bridges in the world over water |url=https://www.dangerousroads.org/north-america/usa/6568-manchac-swamp-bridge.html |access-date=March 7, 2022 |website=www.dangerousroads.org |language=en-gb}}</ref> it is one of the [[List of bridges by length|longest bridges in the world over water]], and is the longest bridge on the [[Interstate Highway System]], and some claim it is the longest toll-free road bridge in the world.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 1, 2017 |title=Longest Bridges in North America |url=https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/longest-bridges-in-north-america.html |access-date=March 7, 2022 |website=WorldAtlas |language=en-US}}</ref>
With a total length of {{convert|22.80|mi|km}},<ref>{{Cite web |title=Manchac Swamp Bridge |url=http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/manchac-swamp-bridge-2 |access-date=May 2, 2019 |website=Atlas Obscura |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Manchac Swamp Bridge, one of the longest bridges in the world over water |url=https://www.dangerousroads.org/north-america/usa/6568-manchac-swamp-bridge.html |access-date=March 7, 2022 |website=www.dangerousroads.org |language=en-gb}}</ref> it is one of the [[List of bridges by length|longest bridges in the world over water]], and is the longest bridge on the [[Interstate Highway System]], and some claim it is the longest toll-free road bridge in the world.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 1, 2017 |title=Longest Bridges in North America |url=https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/longest-bridges-in-north-america.html |access-date=March 7, 2022 |website=WorldAtlas |language=en-US}}</ref>


Opened in 1979,<ref name="Melaragno"/> with [[deep foundation|piles]] driven {{convert|250|ft|m}} beneath the swamp, it cost $7&nbsp;million per mile ({{convert|7|e6$/mi|e6$/km|abbr=unit|disp=output number only}}/km) (equivalent to ${{formatprice|{{inflation|US-GDP|7000000|1979}}}} per mile ({{convert|{{inflation|US-GDP|7|1979}}|e6$/mi|e6$/km|abbr=off|disp=output number only}}/km) in {{inflation/year|US-GDP}}{{inflation/fn|US-GDP}}) to construct.<ref name="June 8, 1977">{{cite news |last=Loh |first=Jules |date=June 8, 1977 |title=Louisiana 'oasis' is cypress-paneled |page=6 |newspaper=The Tuscaloosa News |location=Tuscaloosa, Alabama |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WggdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_Z0EAAAAIBAJ&dq=manchac%20bridge&pg=6767%2C1496622 |accessdate=July 20, 2010}}</ref>
Opened in 1979,<ref name="Melaragno"/> with [[Deep foundation|piles]] driven {{convert|250|ft|m}} beneath the swamp, it cost $7&nbsp;million per mile ({{convert|7|e6$/mi|e6$/km|abbr=unit|disp=output number only}}/km), equivalent to ${{formatprice|{{inflation|US-GDP|7000000|1979}}}} per mile ({{convert|{{inflation|US-GDP|7|1979}}|e6$/mi|e6$/km|abbr=off|disp=output number only}}/km) in {{inflation/year|US-GDP}},{{inflation/fn|US-GDP}} to construct.<ref name="June 8, 1977">{{cite news |last=Loh |first=Jules |date=June 8, 1977 |title=Louisiana 'oasis' is cypress-paneled |page=6 |newspaper=The Tuscaloosa News |location=Tuscaloosa, Alabama |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WggdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_Z0EAAAAIBAJ&dq=manchac%20bridge&pg=6767%2C1496622 |accessdate=July 20, 2010}}</ref>


== 2023 Manchac Swamp Bridge Car Crash ==
== 2023 Manchac Swamp Bridge Car Crash ==

Revision as of 00:04, 15 August 2024

Manchac Swamp Bridge
Coordinates30°18′11″N 90°24′21″W / 30.302946°N 90.405807°W / 30.302946; -90.405807
Carries I-55 / US 51
CrossesManchac Swamp
LocaleSt. John the Baptist Parish / Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, USA
Other name(s)I-55 Manchac Swamp Crossing
Maintained byLA DOTD
Characteristics
Total length22.8 miles (36.7 km)
Width312 feet (95 m)
History
Opened1979[1]
Location
Map

The Manchac Swamp Bridge is a twin concrete trestle bridge near Manchac in the U.S. state of Louisiana.[1] It carries Interstate 55 and U.S. Route 51 over the Manchac Swamp in Louisiana and represents a third of the highway's approximately 66 miles (106 km) in Louisiana.

With a total length of 22.80 miles (36.69 km),[2][3] it is one of the longest bridges in the world over water, and is the longest bridge on the Interstate Highway System, and some claim it is the longest toll-free road bridge in the world.[4]

Opened in 1979,[1] with piles driven 250 feet (76 m) beneath the swamp, it cost $7 million per mile ($4.3 million/km), equivalent to $23.7 million per mile ($15 million/km) in 2023,[5] to construct.[6]

2023 Manchac Swamp Bridge Car Crash

The 2023 Manchac Swamp Bridge Car Crash occurred on October 23, 2023, on Interstate 55 in St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana. The incident was primarily caused by a combination of heavy fog and drifting smoke from nearby marsh fires, a phenomenon known as superfog. The crash took place on the elevated section of I-55, which spans from Ponchatoula to Manchac over the swamplands below. During the crash, one vehicle fell into the water and partially sank, while over 100 motorists were left stranded until rescue services could reach the area. The collision involved 168 vehicles, resulting in 8 fatalities and 63 injuries. The severe conditions and scale of the accident posed significant challenges for emergency responders.

A satellite view of the Manchac Swamp bridge (to the left) and the nearby Pontchartrain bridge


See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Melaragno, Michele G. (1998). Preliminary Design of Bridges for Architects and Engineers. CRC Press. p. 377. ISBN 978-0-8247-0184-0. Retrieved June 20, 2010.
  2. ^ "Manchac Swamp Bridge". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved May 2, 2019.
  3. ^ "Manchac Swamp Bridge, one of the longest bridges in the world over water". www.dangerousroads.org. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
  4. ^ "Longest Bridges in North America". WorldAtlas. August 1, 2017. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
  5. ^ Johnston, Louis; Williamson, Samuel H. (2023). "What Was the U.S. GDP Then?". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved November 30, 2023. United States Gross Domestic Product deflator figures follow the MeasuringWorth series.
  6. ^ Loh, Jules (June 8, 1977). "Louisiana 'oasis' is cypress-paneled". The Tuscaloosa News. Tuscaloosa, Alabama. p. 6. Retrieved July 20, 2010.


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