Saturday, December 1, 2007

Aging and tired

The St. Claude Avenue draw bridge is located at the lock at the Inner Harbor Navigational Channel and the Mississippi River in New Orleans (known locally as the Industrial Canal). The dredging for this busy waterway was begun in 1918. Later in the 1930's part of the canal became the channel for the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway as it passes through.

The lock was built in 1921. The canal along its 5.5 mile length links the Mississippi River with Lake Pontchartrain -- the two bodies of water which nearly surround New Orleans.

Today the 75 foot-wide lock is too narrow and t0o old to be efficient. Congress in 1956 authorized the locks to be replaced. Planning and public input continued until 1969 when Congress authorized construction of a 110 foot-wide replacement. That construction start was announced in 2001 and would includes 2 new bridges including this one. An award winning $37 million mitigation program has been funded to minimize impacts of the project on surrounding neighborhoods. But the lock replacement is still more than 12 years out.

Thus the lock is now one of the most congested locks in the country. This is one of six bridges across the Canal.

Today is Theme Day on City Daily Photo Blogs. Theme for the day is Bridges.

-- steve buser

Check out these other blogs that are participating in today's Theme Day, and check out today's Lagniappe at the bottom of this post.

Boston (MA), USA - San Diego (CA), USA - Stayton (OR), USA - New York City (NY), USA - Portland (OR), USA - Montego Bay, Jamaica - Inverness (IL), USA - Singapore, Singapore - Stockholm, Sweden - Setúbal, Portugal - Brussels, Belgium - Phoenix (AZ), USA - Seattle (WA), USA - Hyde, UK - Manila, Philippines - Fort Lauderdale (FL), USA - London, England - Austin (TX), USA - Toulouse, France - Weston (FL), USA - Sesimbra, Portugal - Selma (AL), USA - Silver Spring (MD), USA - Saarbrücken, Germany - Cleveland (OH), USA - Crystal Lake (IL), USA - American Fork (UT), USA - Seoul, South Korea - Kyoto, Japan - Tokyo, Japan - Norwich (Norfolk), UK - North Bay (ON), Canada - Arradon, France - Paderborn, Germany - Durban, South Africa - Philadelphia (PA), USA - Cypress (TX), USA - Cottage Grove (MN), USA - Prague, Czech Republic - Portland (OR), USA - Greenville (SC), USA - Boston (MA), USA - Port Angeles (WA), USA - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Wichita (Ks), USA - Saint Paul (MN), USA - Petaling Jaya (Selangor), Malaysia - Grenoble, France - New York City (NY), USA - Nottingham, UK - Hobart (Tasmania), Australia - Arlington (VA), USA - Minneapolis (MN), USA - Miami (FL), USA - Cheltenham, UK - Albuquerque (NM), USA - Saratoga Spgs. (NY), USA - Las Vegas (NV), USA - Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina - Nashville (TN), USA - Toruń, Poland - New Orleans (LA), USA - Port Elizabeth, South Africa - Melbourne, Australia - Moscow, Russia - Trujillo, Peru - Château-Gontier, France - Quincy (MA), USA - Melbourne, Australia - Port Vila, Vanuatu - Joplin (MO), USA - Bellefonte (PA), USA - Brookville (OH), USA - Chateaubriant, France - Chandler (AZ), USA - Stavanger, Norway - Baziège, France - Auckland, New Zealand - Wellington, New Zealand - Ocean Township (NJ), USA - Subang Jaya (Selangor), Malaysia - Detroit (MI), USA - Riga, Latvia - Nelson, New Zealand - Budapest, Hungary - Cape Town, South Africa - Sydney, Australia - Dunedin (FL), USA - Sofia, Bulgaria - Radonvilliers, France - Turin, Italy - Montpellier, France - Kansas City (MO), USA - Minneapolis (MN), USA - Haninge, Sweden - Wailea (HI), USA - Lubbock (TX), USA - Rabaul, Papua New Guinea - Terrell (TX), USA - Mexico City, Mexico - Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation - Budapest, Hungary - Montréal (QC), Canada - Sharon (CT), USA - Le Guilvinec, France - Jefferson City (MO), USA - Saigon, Vietnam - London, UK - Crepy-en-Valois, France - Orlando (FL), USA - Maple Ridge (BC), Canada - Paris, France - Mainz, Germany - Newcastle (NSW), Australia - Wassenaar (ZH), Netherlands - Menton, France - Monte Carlo, Monaco - Darmstadt, Germany - Naples (FL), USA - Torino, Italy - Saint Louis (MO), USA - Bogor, Indonesia - The Hague, Netherlands - Minneapolis (MN), USA - Anderson (SC), USA - Melbourne (VIC), Australia - West Sacramento (CA), USA - Christchurch, New Zealand

Lagniappe (a little something extra)
Again.
It happened again.
This time it snuck up on me.
I didn't even notice until I was editing the picture.
There it was. With my name on it.
Today on Pixel Eyed.

20 comments:

Jilly said...

Amazing old bridge. Love the angle you've used - so much character here. I imagine you need to have patience when negotiating the locks. Fascinating.

Wanda said...

Wow, that is a great photo! I really like draw bridges...don't see many at all.

Felicia said...

Really nice photo. I was wondering why the stop sign was turned. I know this is a crazy thing to say, but it might take 100 years! Hopefully though, it won't take that long.

julia said...

Hello on theme day. Thanks for 'filling us in' about the area!

Anonymous said...

Nice shot. It looks nice, strong and old.

16 Ghosts on Bridge?

GMG said...

Amazing story, interesting post, and quite nice picture!
Enjoy a sunny weekend!

lv2scpbk said...

When I first looked at it, I thought it looked like an older bridge. Nice shot.

Gwen said...

The St.Claude Avenue bridge is a very interesting structure--I've not seen one before with this specific building style.

Janet said...

I think drawbridges are quite a mechanical feat!

Wayne said...

I like your bridge shot Steve, and what a story to go with it. My how slowly the wheels can turn, eh? Let's hear it for Bridge Theme day 2019! Then you can post a pic of the NEW bridge! :)

Fénix - Bostonscapes said...

Great photo, Steve. Love the perspective. That bridge is impressive. Great story behind it, too. Happy theme day!

Chris said...

I love the perspective from which you took the shot, and the story is quite interesting. I also like your lagniappe!

Jim Klenke said...

I remember crossing one of these when I was a kid on vacation with my family.

Joy said...

Good capture. Do you think the bridge might get a facelift?

joy
Norwich Daily Photo
The Goddess In You
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Ben Nakagawa said...

Very nice photograph, Steve. I like how you presented this old structure.

Jules said...

What a majestic old girl!!! The history is very interesting and hopefully she will be given a face-lift - it is what all us old girls need!!!

Annie said...

Old and strong it stands, even with all the troubles it's seen.

You are the only one who's noticed that I have set my clock forward so I can post in the evening but have it seem that I did the next day.

photowannabe said...

Amazing old bridge. When I took the Mississippi Queen riverboat cruise up the River we went under so many of these fascinating bridges. the locks and canals are so interesting.

Sally said...

Great seeing the mighty Mississippi at its other end...I've seen lots of shots across it in Minnesota!

Neva said...

A really great photo....love the stop sign!