The American Press

Nearly two decades have passed since the state first announced plans to build a new Interstate 10 bridge over the Calcasieu River, and progress has been painstakingly slow. 

Although the project’s $500 million price tag hasn’t helped, the reason for the delay is more than financial.

The state had to pump the breaks on the project because it found massive amounts of ethylene dichloride — a toxic chemical spilled in the Calcasieu River in the 1990s — at the bottom of the river. 

This made construction all but impossible, since drilling would likely funnel the EDC down into the Chicot Aquifer — the source of the region’s drinking water.

The environmental risk, coupled with the state’s ongoing money problems, has thwarted efforts to rebuild the 64-year-old truss bridge, as safety and traffic issues continue to mount.

But the state’s announcement last week that, through a feat of engineering, officials believe they’ve found a way to build a new bridge without putting local people at risk has breathed new life into what many considered a lost cause. 

Officials unveiled designs, answered questions and accepted feedback Thursday during a public meeting in the Lake Charles Civic Center. They’ll use public comments in developing an environmental impact statement before finalizing designs and starting construction -— expected to wrap up in another eight-10 years.

One design, a compensated foundation that would extend a shallow depth of only 15 feet, would allow the bridge’s support system to sit in the contaminated area while staying well above the aquifer. 

Another design, a long-span bridge, would avoid the contaminated area altogether by lengthening the bridge and placing its support system on either side of the EDC. 

But the project doesn’t stop at the bridge itself. An ongoing problem on Sampson Street in Westlake, where drivers are stalled before the on-ramp by a busy railroad crossing, poses another dilemma for designers. To fix it, the state would have to elevate Sampson Street, driving pilings into an area where the EDC has spread underground.  

The state plans to solve Sampson Street’s woes and avoid the EDC by building a separate movable bridge across the river. The bridge would link Sulphur Avenue — which bisects Sampson Street — with I-10 directly or extend it to Enterprise Boulevard, where drivers can access the interstate.

We’re still a long way off from seeing a new bridge. But, if nothing else, the meeting showed us the bridge is possible and people are diligently working to make it a reality. 

And that, for once, is pretty good news.