Horace Wilkinson Bridge

Horace Wilkinson Bridge
View of the Horace Wilkinson Bridge looking northwest from the east bank of the river in January 2023.
Coordinates30°26′22.2″N 91°11′47.4″W / 30.439500°N 91.196500°W / 30.439500; -91.196500
Carries6 lanes of I-10
CrossesMississippi River
LocaleBaton Rouge, Louisiana
Other name(s)The New Bridge, Mississippi River Bridge
Maintained byLaDOTD
ID number611704500900001
Characteristics
DesignCantilever bridge
Total length4,550 feet (1,387 m) (superstructure)
14,150 feet (4,313 m) (overall)
Width80 feet (24 m)
Longest span1,235 feet (376 m)
Clearance below175 feet (53 m)
History
Engineering design byModjeski & Masters
Construction cost$46 million[1]
OpenedApril 10, 1968[2]
Statistics
Daily traffic107,000 (2005)
Location
Map

The Horace Wilkinson Bridge (locally known as the New Bridge) is a cantilever bridge carrying Interstate 10 in Louisiana across the Mississippi River from Port Allen in West Baton Rouge Parish to Baton Rouge in East Baton Rouge Parish. Around the Baton Rouge metropolitan area, the bridge is more commonly known as the "New Bridge" because it is the younger of the two bridges that cross the river in Baton Rouge, downstream of the older Huey P. Long Bridge.

The structure begins at the Louisiana Highway 1 (LA 1) exit south of Port Allen. After the interstate crosses the superstructure, it remains an elevated viaduct up to the Dalrymple Drive exit to Louisiana State University. It is the highest bridge on the Mississippi River.

  1. ^ "The Horace Wilkinson Bridge named July 31, 1968". Louisiana News in Education. Baton Rouge: Capital City Press. 2014-07-31. Retrieved 2016-06-10.[permanent dead link]
  2. ^ LADOTD Frequently Asked Questions - What is the history of the Horace Wilkinson Bridge/New Mississippi River Bridge in Baton Rouge?