The Interstate 10-Calcasieu River bridge that should have been replaced years ago will mark the 70th anniversary of its opening day on Sept. 28 of this year. Those who use that bridge now can only hope that a new bridge gets constructed soon enough in order to avoid what happened in 1951.

The existing bridge wasn’t quite finished when it opened on Sept. 28, 1951, and the American Press reported in that day’s edition why it had to be opened early.

“The bridge opening was announced suddenly yesterday by state engineers as an ‘emergency measure’ in view of the condition of the old bridge which will subsequently be closed to all except light traffic (automobiles),” the newspaper said.

Norman E. Lant, chief engineer of the State Highway Department, said even though the new bridge wasn’t quite finished, the minor work required wouldn’t interfere with highway traffic.

The old bridge was at the west end of Shell Beach Drive. State highway engineers found the old bridge “in such condition that a possible failure may occur at any time” and the heavy traffic should be taken off it as soon as possible. Automobiles would be allowed on the old bridge for as long as light traffic was considered safe, the engineers said.

The administrations of three governors were involved in construction of the 1951 bridge. The American Press reported that actual credit for committing the state to the building of the bridge and providing the first money went to former Gov. Sam H. Jones of Lake Charles who was in office from 1940-1944.

The first legislative acts were passed then to provide the financing. Two of them provided for $2 million of a $10 million bond issue to be earmarked for the Lake Charles bridge.

The Calcasieu-Marine and Gulf National banks of Lake Charles bought the first $100,000 of the $2 million bond issue on Aug. 3, 1943, to prevent a diversion of the funds to other purposes. World War II caused a construction delay.

Gov. Jimmie H. Davis (1944-1948) secured the first rights of way on Oct. 24, 1945. At the conclusion of World War II, Davis let the contract for the dredging of a fill along the north shore that was completed on May 27, 1947. The next year the Davis administration let the contract for the piers, or sub-structure, which were completed at a cost of $3.6 million.

Gov. Earl K. Long (1948-1952) let the contract for the super-structure on June 8, 1949, at a cost of $3.2 million. The fill along the east shore, together with the east and west approaches, reached completion during Long’s administration.

Long, who was touring in this part of the state at the time, cut the ribbon opening the bridge. Total cost of the new bridge was $10 million. It has been estimated that the new bridge under consideration here will cost nearly $1 billion.

The 1951 bridge structure cost $8 million and its approaches cost an additional $2 million. It was financed 50-50 by the state and federal governments. Embankment operations were begun in 1946 and the steel and concrete sub-structure in 1948. The bridge is approximately 1.3 miles long.

Lant, the highway department’s chief engineer, during construction of the bridge in 1948 suggested at a Louisiana Engineers Society meeting that the new Lake Charles bridge be named The Lafitte Bridge.

The American Press reported that Lant said the Lake Charles area was where “the tricky Jean Lafitte had plied his piratical trade.” Lant said the handrailing of the bridge had also been marked with the sign of the pirates — crossed pistols. The newspaper said no one since had made any other suggestion for naming the bridge, but another plan was being considered.

The Press reported on Oct. 20, 1950, a year before the bridge opening, that plans were progressing towards naming the new bridge the Calcasieu Memorial Bridge in honor of Louisiana and Calcasieu Parish World War II dead.

The Calcasieu Memorial Association was spearheading the movement. Monuments were planned to honor the approximately 225 Calcasieu Parish war dead, but apparently those plans didn’t come to fruition. However, the bridge in June of 1951 was officially named the Louisiana Memorial World War II Bridge.

Recent developments for a new bridge here sound encouraging, and we can only hope to see some construction signs before too long. We don’t want to see a repeat of what happened in 1951. The existing bridge is 20 years beyond the 50-year life span for most bridges.

I-10 BRIDGE — The Interstate 10-Calcasieu River Bridge at Lake Charles, La., will mark its 70th year after opening on Sept. 28. A long-overdue new bridge seems to be closer to reality that it has been in some time.

Jim Beam