Gramercy Bridge

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search
Gramercy Bridge
Official name Veterans Memorial Bridge
Carries 4 lanes of LA 3213
Crosses Mississippi River
Locale Gramercy, Louisiana and St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana
Maintained by LaDOTD
ID number 614704340300011
Design Cantilever bridge
Total length 3,101 feet (945 m)
Width 4 lanes
Longest span 1,460 feet (445 m)
Clearance below 165 feet (50 m)
AADT 9,000 (2007)
Opened 1995
Coordinates 30°02′45″N 90°40′21″W / 30.04583°N 90.6725°W / 30.04583; -90.6725
Louisiana 3213.svg
Louisiana Highway 3213
Length: 3.79 mi[1] (6.10 km)
South end: Louisiana 18.svg LA 18
Major
junctions:
Louisiana 44.svg LA 44 near Gramercy
North end: Louisiana 641.svg LA 641 near Gramercy
Highways in Louisiana
< LA 3212 LA 3214 >

The Gramercy Bridge (officially the Veterans Memorial Bridge), is a cantilever bridge over the Mississippi River connecting Gramercy, Louisiana in St. James Parish with St. John the Baptist Parish. This is the newest Mississippi River bridge in Louisiana (until the completion of the John James Audubon Bridge), one of many built to replace the ferry system following a 1976 accident that killed 78 when a ferry sank after being struck by a ship.[2] While the Veterans Memorial Bridge has not transformed the local economy as extensively as its upriver cousin, the Sunshine Bridge, the farming industry has benefited from the quicker river crossing.[citation needed]

The bridge and its approaches are Louisiana Highway 3213 (LA 3213), which runs 3.79 miles (6.10 km) from Louisiana Highway 18 on the west bank north over the bridge, past an interchange with Louisiana Highway 44, to its terminus at Louisiana Highway 641.[1] (LA 641 continues north across U.S. Highway 61 (Airline Highway) to Interstate 10.)

Plans have been made to extend LA 3213 south from the bridge to Louisiana Highway 3127, an inland bypass to LA 18 and connection to U.S. 90.[3] The first part of this extension, a 4.6-mile (7.4 km) two lane road from the former west end was opened to traffic on June 17, 2008; the next two phases, which include plans for placing a railroad overpass and widening the roadway are on hold due to funding. [4]

[edit] See also

[edit] References