Actually, the longest bridge “system” in America is the Florida Keys bridges. This consists of 42 bridges connecting the Keys islands for a total length of 113 miles or 181.85 km.
@@lizzaangelis3308 I added the Keys bridgeS simply because as a Brit, he's probably not even aware of them. And without a doubt, if you're talking about the end to end distance of any supported road span over water, the Keys bridges take the record without anything else being close.
The down side of counting ends of bridges were you have connecting turn outs on any small part of land. If it wasn't for off ramps consider how much of the LA roadways could be added up because of the preponderance of elevated sections.
The Chesapeake Bay bridge tunnel has tunnels so naval vessels can leave port and not need a drawbridge. It’s also crazy because if you enter from the west, you’re basically in the middle of Virginia Beach. When you get to the other end, you’re in the middle of nowhere.
I have a fear of water and would have a panic attack driving across a bridge but didn’t have a problem with the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, I couldn’t see the water for part of the way, going under the water didn’t bother me for some reason.
I wuld drive hundreds of miles around Louisiana to stay away from the Causway, seriously, my ex husband argued that there way no way around it and I told him that there had to be a way around it even if it meant having to go through Canada!
The Chesapeake Bay bridge tunnel is bizarre. You are driving along and the bridge just disappears up ahead...it goes into a tunnel, then you pop up again in the middle of the bay. We drove it when I was a kid and I've never forgotten it.
I'll always remember the first time I drove across the 24 mile long Lake Pontchartrain Bridge. Bc nobody told me. After 10min of driving ,no land in sight, surrounded by water. I convinced myself I was high.
Living in Louisiana my whole life I can say with confidence that before you're off the bridge you'll be wishing you were high lol. The middle part where you can't see land behind you nor in front of you feels like an eternity to get past!!
I once was with my parents driving across this bridge when I was about 16. I remember having to lay down in the back seat because I was starting to have anxiety. Like the water was going to come up over the road and swallow us. 😂
Louisiana's names are French mixed with Native. Also most of the Southern Gulf states are very swampy with lots of water. Louisiana is the best example but Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, and Georgia also have a lot of swampy land. As for Lake Pontchartrain. Even though that bridge is massive, it's near a populated area. Once you get on the other side, you're immediately in New Orleans so breaking down there isn't the worst place in the world
If I remember the time I drove across it the bridge also has a few exit ramps that let you down to some of the islands that support parts of the bridge so if you get in trouble on the bridge hopefully you can get out of the way.
@@stevedavis5704since it was built taller yes... off ramps exist. Prior to Katrina, high water levels would flood off ramps and would even lap water onto the bridge.
Yeah, that bridge is fierce. I love stoping at the middle at the rest stop and looking for barges. We had to take that bridge when I lived in NJ anytime we headed South for anything and it didn't creep us out but we always found it cool as hell.
Bridge engineer here: in the USA, legally speaking, a bridge is a structure with an opening greater than 20 feet regardless of what it goes over (waterway, roadway, railroad, depression).
Of course, all the bridges mentioned in this video are singular structures.... America has one complex of bridges worth mentioning in all this: Florida's "Overseas Highway" (US Route 1) down the Florida Keys from Homestead, FL to Key West, FL. While it's longest single bridge is "Seven Mile Bridge," (which ranks #7 in length in the US) the highway itself runs for 113 miles over 42 bridges that leapfrog down the island chin of the Florida Keys until ending at Key West.
Do you know the United States even has the original "London Bridge" that was over the Thames? It's located in Lake Havasu, Arizona now. You should also check out the "Overseas Highway of the Florida Keys" It's 113 miles long, mostly over water, and has 42 bridges running from Key Largo to Key West.
It’s not THE London Bridge it’s A London Bridge. Many bridges have crossed the Thames. It was purchased as an antique, so no taxes were paid. The pieces were labeled, disassembled, shipped, and reassembled in the desert.
These are all great bridges(especially love the Chesapeake Bay bridge) but the drive leaving Miami to Key West feels like 90 miles of bridges over the ocean with occasional small strips of land. A must drive in a country filled with amazing drives.
We have traveled those bridges many times. When we were still poor and young enough while patient enough to deal with the long drive from Texas to Key West for vacation, the I-10 was a common road for us to travel with the many shorter and of course the longer swamp bridges. There is a true story that goes like this.. we were on I-10 and I was asleep in the front passenger seat, being the attentive navigator I was (pre-GPS days complete with a paper map) with my husband driving (which is always the case since he loves to drive).. he woke me up, using his normal, soft spoken manner, and asked me “is that a tornado over there”? I turned my head and looked out the window and.. yes indeed it was! A small EF-1 or EF-2 tornado was on the ground running parallel to the highway! I do apologize for not being able to do a better job estimating the size and distance of the tornado from us because it seems my ability to estimate distance and size apparently had become affected by my rectal sphincter muscles clinching. So in the spirit of the moment, and as not to startle him, I calmly exclaimed “why yes it is, why don’t you drive a little faster so we can put a bit of distance between it and us”. We can now look back and laugh when telling this story to friends but I am sure that was when my hair and beard began turning a stunning shade of white.
Louisiana is very swampy so it doesn't surprise me that it has so many bridges and long ones at that. That area was settled by the French so between them and the local Amerindians, there are lots of place names that are damned hard to pronounce.
Keep in mind this...the bridges in Louisiana are TWO separate spans...that means they built TWO bridges side by side at that length...and Lake Pontchartrain is named after the Count de Pontchartrain of France...in 1699 Iberville renamed the lake which the native people called Okwa-ta...which in their language means Wide Water...I have gone over the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway several times and it is mind blowing....you feel like it will go on forever...
What is really fun is the line at the bathrooms at the gas stations closest to the exits of the causeway on the north and south ends. For some reason that thump thump, thump thump, thump thump, of crossing the bridge makes ladies need to pee. Every time I have crossed it the women with me are dying to pee by the end of it. :P
Agreed. My husband is from Utah and I'm from Newport news. I loved seeing his reaction on his first trip to va. Funny enough the James River bridge stresses me out more than the Chesapeake bay bridge
One of my father's favorite jokes after going over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel was what do you call the gulls on the ocean side of the bridge? (Sea gulls) then what do call the gulls on the bay side of the bridge? (Bagels) 😂
I've driven over it many times, but I try to avoid driving on the grating if possible. It feels like my car wants to wander whenever I'm on it. I prefer the paved right lane. I know it's there so the wind can pass through and make the bridge more stable.
I’ve walked across the Mackinac Bridge…halfway across you feel the bridge sway with every step. Mackinac Bridge Walk is done every year in early September. Takes about 2 hours to walk across.
I've come across it during a snow storm. And the wind was blowing. I could feel the wind under my car. Right after we got across they closed down the bridge.
I live in Michigan and I go over the Mackinac bridge every summer. Likewise, my dad's from Denham Springs, Louisiana. I have been on all the bridges in Louisiana. They are amazing, and I highly suggest visiting them!
I’ve been over the Atchafalaya Basin bridge many times. They used to have call boxes about every mile or so, but with the availability of cellular phones they’ve been removed. They reduced the speed from 70 to 60 mph for cars, and trucks are supposed to remain in the right lane and go 55 mph. There are now several cameras also to monitor traffic conditions. It crosses some beautiful scenery. My father used to take me fishing in the Atchafalaya when I was a boy. Good times.
@@kimberlygabaldon3260 It’s been up since the early 70s. I’m kind of used to it. But understandable if you focus on the things that can go wrong. Kind of like flying. Lol
I used to be an OTR trucker, so I've been on most of those bridges. With I-10 in Louisiana, there is a very long section of highway that is just bridges separated by brief sections on land, but it's basically one long bridge for all intents and purposes. Lots of swampland in Louisiana.
agreed. was waiting for someone to mention it in the comments. so many massive bridges in Southern Louisiana because theres so much water and so little land. completely different feeling going over the I-10 bridges in comparison to the Chesapeake Bridge Tunnell
This is so funny! My parents live 2 hours away from me, and I cross 2 of the bridges on this list to get there. When my daughter was in college, I had two options to get to her college an hour away, both options were different bridges on this list. BTW, you guys' pronunciation of these bridges had me laughing so hard, I was crying!
When I lived in Annapolis and traveled to the Outer Banks, I always used the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel route going through nowhere (Delmarva peninsula) to Virginia Beach, instead of going via 95. It's amazing. The bridge has a restaurant on it, near the eastern end. There's a huge 9/11 memorial on the wall when you enter. We would stop to use the bathroom and get a fish sandwich. They catch the fish right off the bridge, it's the freshest I've ever had. Very fond memories!
I LOVE the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. Welcome to being a teen and how our Moms survived. My mom was terrified of tunnels, so we HAD to take this route driving home from Florida back to Pennsylvania. My poor mom (RIP❤), but memories of her being so afraid in a tunnel under water. Still makes us laugh. 🤣 She just yelled at us and my Dad. She knew she was safe, as we made this trip every summer to visit my grandparents, but she hated us while we were in the tunnels. So much fun, so many memories and what an experience in the Bay-Bridge every summer.
Once crossing the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, just as we went down into the tunnel section, a massive naval aircraft carrier was crossing it! Talk about unnerving! Think about being underwater, under that ship. To really appreciate it, go and research sizes and descriptions of aircraft carriers (crew of 5,000, for instance).
Definitely check more out about the mackinac bridge. It really is magnificent. My sister and family have walked across it and I sailed a gigantic sail boat under it. It was awesome!
In 1985 I went to the UK and while heading down into Wales I was introduced to the old Severn Bridge on a very windy day, and as I approached the bridge you could see it swaying in the wind.
The Mackinac Bridge is amazing but due to the sometimes wicked weather on the Great Lakes it can also terrifying. They actually have a service where you can arrange for someone else to drive your vehicle across if you are scared to.
My daughter lives in Louisiana and drives the Ponchartrain Causeway to and from work each day. There are emergency lanes for breakdowns and crossovers manned by police which can only be used with police permission and escort. I have been over it about a dozen times myself. It also has a drawbridge in the middle. It is a cool experience.
I have been in all the I-10 bridges in Louisiana, while driving across the country on I-10.and the Lake Ponchatraine bridge as well. Also, keep in mind that the famous and well know US bridges are basically all suspension bridges, and the Golden Gate was the longest in the world until the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridgeworld in 1964, which then was the longest suspension bridge in the world until the Humber Bridge in the United Kingdom in 1981.
I wish he would have shown more aerial views of the bridges so you could see larger sections of them instead of from a vehicles viewpoint. You should also check out the series of bridges that connect all the islands in the Florida Keys.
I've driven across all these bridges except the one across Chesapeake Bay. And the ones in Louisiana I have crossed many times. But the causeway connecting mainland Florida to the Florida Keys is a wonder of wonders. The fact that it is not a single continuous span keeps it out of this list. It touches base with every island along the way, so technically it is a series of 42 bridges. But driving across it is a spectacular experience -- 113 miles over the Gulf of Mexico from the bottom of Florida to Key West. It should count as one of the wonders of the world.
Yeah, the Lake Pontchartrain bridge is a beast. I've driven the I-10 bridges as well a number of times, and they are impressive once you realize just how long you've been driving over uninterrupted alligator infested water. Worth noting that that you can find absolutely wonderful restaurants at both ends of the Pontchartrain bridge! Cheers from Texas.
if you ever get the chance the drive over the Chesapeak Bay Bridge Tunnel is nice, albeit often congested with traffic. that being said, still a better alternative to I-95, but if youre in Southern Louisiana the drive up I-81 is the only logical and most beautiful way to go to the northeast
Ive been on the Chesapeake bay bridge and tunnel several times (i grew up in Maryland and would often vacation in Virgina beach and around the bay. I loved it. Its so cool to keep going under and over the bay. Ive also crossed the Lake Pontchartrain bridge once and it took us about 40-45 mins to cross it. It was awesome ❤
Florida's 7 Mile bridge almost made the list (it's too bad that the new bridge is slightly shorter than 7 miles). It's too bad it didn't make the list as it's one of the most picturesque bridges, being that it's in the Florida Keyes, over tropical waters!
Louisiana is a LOT of Swampy Land, so all those long bridges are necessary to get around. I've been on both of the I-10 (or Interstate 10) bridges many times. It is actually a very nice drive as while you are on the bridges it is nothing but Nature all around. Granted a lot of it is swamp, but it is still very beautiful! The reason a lot of the names in Louisiana are odd is they are French, and Native American names.
I used to live in the Mandeville area, which is near New Orleans. I crossed that Ponchartrain bridge many times. It's really spooky if you get caught in a thunderstorm out there.
As a Virginian who goes on vacation in the Outer Banks, I pass over the Chesapeake bay bridge tunnel twice a year, there and back. It’s really cool and a marvel of engineering.
(This was done in fun, so don't think otherwise) When we did family vacations during the summers when I was growing up, Dad would tell us to hold our breath over bridges (I've heard some lift their feet over train tracks, too). All fine and dandy until we hit the bridge going to the outer banks of North Carolina. Turned a bit blue on that one.
We always held our breath too! I realize now that our parents were thrilled we did this - we finally shut up, especially on our trips from Pennsylvania to Florida! 😅
@@mcm0324 Hadn't thought about that! In the days before tablets, you actually stopped at roadside attractions - just to get the kids to shut up for a minute. "Are we there yet?"
as someone who lived in baton rouge, louisiana for a couple of years i’m dying at the pronunciations 😂 i also used to have to drive those bridges often and did not like it one bit as i’m scared of bridges and heights. they were nothing (fear wise) compared to the chesapeake bay bridge though. have driven that dozens of times and had an anxiety attack once driving over it with a hurricane coming in to the bay. eff that bridge, dude.
I used to drive over Chesapeake bay bridge all the time. Was stationed at NAS Oceana VA bch. And am from new jersey. Uses to drive it every 3 day weekend. The tunnels are the scarier parts cause it's 2 way traffic with semi trucks flying by u rocking your car. And ya never want to see a leak. Lol
Ever heard of the Washington state specialty bridges? We have floating bridges. Look up Hood Canal Floating Bridge or Lake Washington's floating bridges (separate bridges for I-90 and WA Highway 520). When there's a boating "small craft advisory" on some of these bodies of water, there's a matching "small car advisory" on the floating bridges. They also shut down the bridges in high winds, because several have sunk in the past.
Louisiana native here. The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway is insane! I've driven over it several times. (including at night!) Driven over the Bonne Carre Spillway & Manchac Swamp Bridge many times too!
I have traveled the Chesapeake Bay Bridge soooo many times.! It’s a cool drive, so areas are above water and some areas are below water. This is to allow large ships to pass through and not have draw bridges. I’ve also traveled the bridges from Florida to the Keys. Another great ride as all you see is beautiful turquoise water, with Pelicans and seagulls sitting on the railings of the bridge. We Americans really don’t mind driving long distances, and these bridges prove that!
I have travelled on the Bonnet Carrie bridge crossing Lake Pontchartrain in Louisiana. It is scary because it seems endless. The day we were on there a storm was brewing and it was getting darker and darker. Fortunately we were able to get to a turnaround and we returned to New Orleans. It was not a bridge I wanted to be on when a storm hit. Have also been on the Mackinac Bridge, called the Mighty Mac. Due to heavy winds which frequently occur due to the straits of Mackinac which connect to of the Great Lakes, the Mackinac has bridge crossers that will drive your vehicle for you. 👍
I travel #1 the causeway regularly there is several points connecting the two sides together for police broke down vehicles and tow trucks. There are often high wind advisories preventing motorcycles or glass trucks from getting on the bridge. The picture he showed of spinning showing you could not see land in any directions is one of those connected points.
Having grown up fishing in the Henderson Swamp and Atchafalaya area in the 1960s, I watched the I-10 bridge being built there. Water in the swamp was only about 6-8 feet deep. For each bridge support, the Corp of Engineers sunk 100-ft long concrete pilings. Sometimes, they'd go to place a piling and it would sink out of sight. No bedrock in the swamps of Louisiana.
I live in Mandeville, home of the Causeway. Thousands of people on the Northshore commute everyday to work in New Orleans. It is usually 35 minutes drive.😍😍😍
Checking into your channel from the San Francisco Bay Area - crossing bridges are definitely a part of daily life here. I guess I take for granted that the Golden Gate Bridge, San Mateo Bridge (#8), and Bay Bridge are all within about 30 min drive. In case you or overseas basketball fans didn’t know, the Golden Gate Bridge is the Golden State Warrior’s retro “The City” logo. The new section of the Bay Bridge (opened 2013) is the Warrior’s new logo.
I've been across at least three of those bridges in Louisiana. I have been across the Pontchartrain Bridges and the I-10 Bridges. Went across that Pontchartrain bridge in the dark. That was a bit creepy.
Been over the Pontchartrain bridge many times. My husband lived in Slidell on the North Shore of Lake Pontchartrain. As the crow flies, he was about six miles from the lake . After the storm surge from Hurricane Katrina, there were fish in his swimming pool from the lake. I have also traveled the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel a few times.
The bridges in Louisiana span a lot of swamp land and waterways. Bonnie Carey spillway. ( the spillway) is over land meant for overload of flood water for emergency. It is swamp land. The levees and dams can divert water through. The bridge between Lafayette and Baton Rouge (I10 bridge) is over swamp and bayou land. The Causeway over Lake 😅 lake pontchartrain connects the south shore to the north shore of New Orleans.
The lake Pontchartrain bridge is very long and it doesn’t take an hour to get across it. But sometimes you do wonder if you’re ever gonna make it to the other side, lol.
Lewis, your reactions on this video are so much fun to watch...yes there is a Lot of water in Louisiana, and there has to be a way to cross it ,LOL...I have been over many of these bridges...they are mind blowing for sure..Big Hugs to You!!
We have traveled those bridges in Louisiana many times. When we were still poor and young enough and not to mention patient enough to deal with the long drive from Texas to Key West for vacation, the I-10 was a common road for us to travel with the many shorter and of course the longer swamp bridges. There is a true story that goes like this.. we were on I-10 and I was asleep in the front passenger seat, being the attentive navigator I was (pre-GPS days complete with a paper map) with my husband driving (which is always the case since he loves to drive).. he woke me up, using his normal, soft spoken manner, and asked me “is that a tornado over there”? I turned my head and looked out the window and.. yes indeed it was! A small EF-1 or EF-2 tornado was on the ground running parallel to the highway! I do apologize for not being able to do a better job estimating the size and distance of the tornado from us because it seems my ability to estimate distance and size apparently had become affected by my rectal sphincter muscles clinching. So in the spirit of the moment, and as not to startle him, I calmly exclaimed “why yes it is, why don’t you drive a little faster so we can put a bit of distance between it and us”. We can now look back and laugh when telling this story to friends but I am sure that was when my hair and beard began turning a stunning shade of white.
I've been on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge a few times because I live in the area, and it's a hard to put into words how amazing it is! At 17.6 miles long with a high-rise section that is 379 feet tall AND also tunnel sections that goes under the water! it's an amazing journey crossing it! It blows the other 2 bridge-tunnels in VA. The Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel and the Monitor-Merrimac Bridge-Tunnel out the water! Those 2 bridge-tunnels are long as crap as well, and I go across them often. But they are nothing compared to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel! It's truly a engineering marvel! It blew my mind the first time crossing it! I know its not the longest bridge in America, but in my opinion its the coolest bridge out of all the longest bridges in America!
I’ve been on all of the Louisiana and the Alabama bridges. It did take me almost an hour to get across Lake Ponchartrain to visit a friend in Ponchatoula. Most of these bridge names in Louisiana are Cajun French and Indian.
I live in Louisiana and I think I've been on all the long bridges. Aside from the Pontchartrain (pronounced ''pont-uh-train'' by everyone around it) most are in the swamps, so you have visible sand bars, trees on either side, and occasionally tiny spots of actual exposed dirt that the bridge sits on top of. For me, crossing the pontchartrain for the first time was very much like riding a plane for the first time. Ten minutes of ''Wow, this is cool'' followed by "Are we there yet? I'm bored'' The second time I crossed it was in 2006, I was 16, and I thought there would be a u turn at some point. I was low on gas, in the middle of the night. Idk about now, but in 2006 there were no u turns, and no shoulder. Easily one of the most stressful driving experiences I've ever had, made worse by the fact that when I got to the otherside and was able to get gas, I needed to cross it again to get back to were I was staying.
Fun fact about bridges. The London bridge in UK is also in Arizona. So some time ago London wanted to replace the previous London bridge with a new one instead of just demolishing it they decided to sell it. A American bought it moved it to Arizona built a lake so the bridge could bridge and made it a tourist destination
I have been on #2 and #3 numerous times and I’ve also been to the Key West system of bridges. The Key West system was the hardest to cross because it is a single lane each way so you can only go as fast as the slowest car ahead of you as there is no passing. Took me hours to drive from one end of it to the other.
I used to drive across the Lake Pontchartrain bridge every day for work. It takes almost 45 minutes going 70 mph. It is absolutely ridiculous. Sometimes, I would be in the middle and would feel like I had been driving for hours, since for most of it, you can’t see either shore. Once, I had a car accident on my way home from work, and my bummer was hanging off. I had to stop half way, cuz it almost bent into my tire. I had no cell service and thought I would be stranded, but I was able to bend it in place temporally with duck tape. You definitely don’t want to get stuck out there, since the service can suck on the bridge too.
New Orleans is my favorite place to travel each year. Lake Ponchartrain Bridge is MASSIVE! Took a litle over 35 minutes. The 1st time I drove the bridge was at 10pm and was not prepared for how long since it was dark. It links New Orleans to Mandeville ( where my hotel reservations were). The next day after brunch i packed up my hotel and drove to New Orleans and rented a hotel there. I dont mind bridges however, I wasnt going to drive that bridge every day.
I am a youngster at heart. 79 yeas young and a native of Louisiana or more specifically of a native of a specific neighborhood in New Orleans Louisiana. I can not guarantee that I have crossed all of the named Louisiana bridges but I can easily correctly pronounciate all of them. The (Lake) Pontchartrain Bridge is for quite a few workers is a commuter route into the Metro New Orleans area. Initially the(Lake) Pontchartrain Bridge was one span due to how busy it had become caused the building of the second span with each span being in a 1 way direction.
luh-FOOCH, BOH-nee CAIR-ee, PON-chuh-trayn, and I used to cross the spillway all time during a certain span of my childhood. You pretty much got Atchafalaya right, but it's atch-uh-fu-LIE-uh or atch-AH-fuh-lie-uh. Manchac is MAN-shack. Yes, I have ridden over the Causeway, but I don't think I've driven it. I don't remember ever stopping to pay a toll anyway. There's another bridge that's part of I-10 that crosses the lake where, while working in the area doing a job involving a lot of driving, I experienced a sense of peace leaving the New Orleans area that I didn't think was possible in that region. The sky was full of gray storm clouds, and there was no one else in sight on this suspension bridge, hundreds of feet in the air.
It's weird to hear him refer to some of those causeways as "bridges"... because by that logic, the 113 mile long Key West Highway would be in that conversation (although with the islands that break up the trip, perhaps that distance would be 20 or 30 separate elevated roadways). When I think of a "Bridge" I think of a suspension bridge like the Mackinac bridge that connects the upper and lower halves of Michigan. It's 5 miles long and 550 feet high... enough that huge shipping boats drive right underneath it. It's harrowing when you get half way out and there is some fog where you can't see the land on either end. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE--WjQG_QxcEM.html
Hi. A note about the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway ...When Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005, it had enough force to physically move sections of the causeway enough to make it non-passable!! A section was shifted left, another shifted right! All the way across!!
Years ago I used to drive a semi, or as the Brits would call it a Lorry. And going across Interstate 10 through the South was one of the routes I took many times in one month. Now at that time I was a teen driver so there was two of us in the truck taking shifts of driving. At one point I had about 45 minutes left that I was allowed to drive when I got to the Eastern end of the Atchafalaya basin bridge. I have been told by locals that it's called the 30 mile bridge, because it's about 30 miles long. I've been on a number of times and knew that if I got to the other side there was an exit I could use to get off and allow the other driver to take over for the night. One of my favorite Trucking stories is of the time that I pulled down there to do that and the other driver who was my trainer at the time told me to get out and check the tires. It was a little before midnight and the exit took you down into the Bayou. You are in that shit. I told him I will go and check the tires, but if I hear banjos this truck is fucking moving. We both got a good chuckle out of that.
Ok. I’m born and raised in Louisiana. Carre is pronounced like carry. A lot of our bridges, streets, and Parishes were named by the French who founded Louisiana. We have long bridges because we are below sea level and have many swamps. Any questions, just ask. ⚜️
I'm in Louisiana. Water everywhere! "Sportsmans paradise " is what it us known for..... and the food! BEST. FOOD. IN. THE. WORLD. French Louisiana culture us amazing. I hope you get to visit. Absolutely gorgeous.
Oh wow, those Louisiana Bridges are awesome. Great site-seeing! Mobile bay bridge is great too, but get ready to fly. We don’t let grass grow under our feet. The bay bridge tunnel in VA is so cool too!
I've been on almost all the Louisiana bridges, including the one over Lake Ponchartrain more than once. It's honestly quicker to get to New Orleans over the Highway 1 bridge he mentioned for most people, it seems like, but a lot of folks take the Lake Ponchartrain one just because of the bridge itself. But if you're going to New Orleans or further south in Louisiana, it's nothing but bridges.
Funny thing is where I live (Staten Island, NY) is connected top the rest of NYC by the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, which was once the longest single span suspension bridge in the world, but when its record was broken it was by a bridge in England, the Humber Bridge. The Verrazzano Bridge opened in 1964 and the Humber Bridge opened in 1981.
Chesapeake Bay Bridge has been deemed the scariest bridge in America. There are actual services that people pay to have someone else drive their car over the bridge as it is said to be too scary for many Americans to drive themselves. I honestly would be one very willing to pay someone else to drive for me, only if I could be laying down with a pillow over my face in the back seat the entire distance! I have a hard time on the Oakland Bay Bridge and Golden Gate Bridge. Heck, I even hyperventilate crossing the measly Sacramento River!
Yes, I've driven the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway and it awesome. I would also agree with another comment about the drive from Miami to Key West in Florida which was also a memorable drive.
New Orleans here. If you're not fussy about whether the bridge is entirely over water or not, the Manchac Swamp bridge and the Bonnet Carré bridge could count as one. Bridge starts as you leave the outskirts of New Orleans; goes over various swamps, the Bonnet Carré Spillway, and a bit of Lake Pontchartrain; goes over a bit of land at the city of LaPlace but it's still on trestles, then goes over the Manchac Swamp and Pass Manchac and doesn't hit land again until Pontchatoula.
Sorry the 7 mile bridge in the keys didn't make it because it is Rt 1 that runs from Key Largo to Key West 90 miles from Cuba. It is a fun bridge with nice views and is parrall to the old train bridge that first linked the Keys to mainland Florida.
I used to live in Louisiana and have driven over all of these. They really are massive but constructed in a way where you don't get the same feeling as going over the Machinac Bridge.
My friends and I made a last minute decision to go to Mardi Gras in New Orleans back in 1984. Because of it being last minute and us being in our early 20’s and poor, we ended up staying in Hammond, so we crossed Lake Ponchartrain whenever we went to the city. We thought it was really cool. One afternoon we just hopped in the car and drove with no destination in mind. I didn’t realize until seeing this that we were on The Manchac Swamp Bridge. It was fascinating! And the road was empty. The guy driving at the time used the opportunity to see how fast my ‘78 Chevy Caprice could go. Another afternoon we randomly took local roads running parallel to I-10 to Gulfport and back. The bridge that actually scared the crap out of me was either in Baton Rouge or Alexandria, or somewhere in-between. I was driving that stretch, and this bridge went practically straight up in the air, and when I got to the peak I couldn’t see the road going down the other side. I think that’s the source of recurring dreams I have where I’m driving a car in high places with no way down. Anybody recognize that bridge from my description?
the chesapeake bay bridge is my absolute favorite! it's especially fun to drive at night. the runner-up for me is the Seven Mile bridge that connects Miami to Key West in Florida. we used to travel that one a lot when I was a kid on our road trips from Philly to Florida.
The really fun thing about out the Mackinac bridge is when you discover, as you’re crossing over it, that the center two lanes are gratings, and you can see down through them as you’re driving across, 200’ above the water in the middle of the bridge Another fun thing is googling “how many cars have blown off the Mackinac bridge”. It gets windy. 😀
I've been going over the Golden Gate Bridge most of my life. I've also been over the Richmond bridge. I was on the last ferry crossing the bay just before the Richmond bridge was opened.
We will also reuse smaller bridges when the railroad or highway replace old steel cage bridges. They are either moved whole or disassembled then put back together for use on ranches or other places. It can get tiring to need to drive 20 or more miles to the side just to get across a canyon to the rest of your land to work on it.
My mother is from Louisiana and I have been across Lake Pontchartrain bridge. It is kind of surreal. Going 60 mph and you can see the railing supports blurring by. But if you look out over the water you have the impression of standing still, feeling like it will never end.
❤❤❤ I lived in Louisiana many years ago. But I went across the Lake Ponchatrain bridge several times it's really awesome, you cannot see the land and when you're in the middle ...and the bridge has its own police force.
I've been stuck on the San Mateo Bridge numerous times. Not very many lanes, and if someone breaks down, we're all F'd. Bumber to bumper traffic and no way for police or other services to get to the accident or broken down car. Also, most people who work in San Francisco don't live there, so every day, there's ridiculous traffic on that bridge. The morning, the west bound side is jammed, and in the evening, the east bound side takes its turn. It's really low to the water as well. I remember being a child and thinking I should be able to see shark fins. I never did, but I always looked.
I've been caught in bad traffic on the San Mateo Bridge too. It's better going into San Mateo than years ago when you had to stop at the toll booth, glad you can cruise through with Fastrak or be invoiced.
I've traveled that Manchac Bridge a hundred times and the Ponchatrain! The restaurant where the bridge begins is fantastic and world known for its thin fried catfish ... Middendorf's! Can't hold your breath crossing this bridge!
I used to drive over the Lake Ponchartrain Causeway every day going from New Orleans to Covington. I can’t even count how many times I’ve driven over the Bonne Carre Spillway and the Atchafalya Basin bridge traveling back and forth from New Orleans to Houston.
I drove on the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway bridge when I flew into New Orleans and was driving to Baton Rouge. My husband and I couldn’t believe how long it was and at the time you could see the water stains from how flooded the area got due to Hurricane Katrina. It certainly put things into perspective…… that bridge is very high and was pretty much under water.
