Katrina-damaged Bridge Reopens to Traffic

January 6, 2006

Katrina-damaged Bridge Reopens to Traffic
January 6, 2006 – The I-10 bridge over Lake Pontchartrain, torn apart by Hurricane Katrina, reopened fully to traffic on Friday. The bridge links New Orleans and Slidell, La.

Large sections of the five-mile concrete bridge were destroyed in the wake of Katrina’s surge. Other sections of I-10 shifted by as much as 5 feet.

Undamaged sections taken from the westbound span were used to patch the eastbound lanes, which were converted temporarily to two-way traffic. Nearly a mile of the westbound roadway remained missing and was replaced with a system of metal trusses and decking.

The federal government will pay about $600 million for a new, six-lane Interstate 10 bridge over Lake Pontchartrain that will replace the existing four-lane twin spans in about three years, Gov. Kathleen Blanco said Thursday during a dedication ceremony.