Sunshine Bridge

Sunshine Bridge
Coordinates	30°05′53″N 90°54′44″W / 30.09806°N 90.91222°W / 30.09806; -90.91222
Carries	4 lanes of LA 70
Crosses	Mississippi River
Locale	unincorporated St. James Parish, Louisiana
Maintained by	LaDOTD
ID number	614704260200721
Characteristics
Design	Cantilever bridge
Total length	8,236 feet (2,510 m)
Width	4 lanes
Longest span	825 feet (251 m)
Clearance below	170 feet (52 m)
History
Construction cost	$40 million[1]
Opened	August 1964
Closed	October 2018; reopened April 2019
Statistics
Daily traffic	16,000
Location

The Sunshine Bridge is a cantilever bridge over the Mississippi River in St. James Parish, Louisiana. Completed in 1963, it carries Louisiana Highway 70 (LA70), which connects Donaldsonville on the west bank of Ascension Parish with Sorrento on the east bank of Ascension Parish as well as with Gonzales on the east bank of Ascension Parish. The approach roads on the east and west banks begin in Ascension Parish before crossing into St. James Parish.

The bridge is a convenient river crossing for residents of Baton Rouge, Hammond, and the Florida Parishes to travel to the Bayou cities of Morgan City, Houma and Thibodaux as well as vice versa. The bridge plays an important role in storm evacuation and in industrial development along the Mississippi.

From its opening in 1964 through August 15, 2001, a 50-cent toll was collected on traffic crossing to the west bank. The toll was discontinued by an act of the Louisiana Legislature, authored by Louisiana State Representative Roy Quezaire (D-Donaldsonville), whose district included the bridge.