Interstate 10 Atchafalaya Basin Bridge Celebrates 50th Birthday at Butte LaRose Exit in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana

BUTTE LAROSE, La. (KPEL News) - October 31, 2023, marked an important day in the history of the Interstate 10 Atchafalaya Basin Bridge as local, state, and federal partners gathered at the I-10 Atchafalaya Welcome Center at the Butte LaRose Boat Ramp in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana.

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Construction on the Basin Bridge started in 1971 as the 18-mile structure was needed to cross over remote swamp land in St. Martin Parish to connect Lafayette to Baton Rouge. It took a couple of years to complete as it was ready for travel in 1973. While many people concentrate on the fact that it can be a nightmare to travel on when there is construction or even a wreck, the truth is that the bridge itself is a magnificent structure.

Well, the Basin Bridge turned 50 years old in 2023 persons who worked to build the structure were present at the ceremony. To commemorate the bridge's 50th anniversary, Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development officials unveiled the celebratory logo highlighting the structure.

Meanwhile, since I mentioned drivers' fear of traffic crashes and traffic jams happening on the bridge, the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge Bill was signed into law by Governor John Bel Edwards in June 2022 following the Louisiana Legislative Session. SB 435 is a bill that factors driving time into speeding tickets for violators traveling on the Interstate 10 Atchafalaya Basin Bridge.

Senator President Page Cortez's bill means that drivers who cross the bridge in less than 18 minutes would receive a speeding ticket in the mail, basing the ticket on how fast it takes a vehicle to get from one end of the bridge to the other instead of the miles per hour the vehicle was traveling. Cameras would track vehicles to see whether they travel across the bridge in 18 minutes or less.

But these cameras have not yet been installed, though. And it looks like they won't be until the end of 2024. In the meantime, though, you can expect Louisiana State Police troopers and local law enforcement to enforce the law.

Everyone knows the speed limit is 60 miles per hour on the I-10 bridge, 55 mph for 18-wheelers. But, the interstate leading up to the Basin Bridge on both sides has a speed limit of 70 mph. So, it stands to reason that the bridge itself may have had the same speed limit once upon a time.

Well, you would be correct with that reasoning.

The late Mike Foster served as governor of Louisiana from 1996 until 2004 - two terms. When he took office, the speed limit on the Basin Bridge was set at 70 miles per hour for all vehicles.

During his first term, a series of crashes on the bridge in 1998 left four people dead and 32 people injured, according to The Advocate. Gov. Foster then ordered the speed limit lowered to 60 mph for all vehicles. Then, during his second term in 2003, The Advocate reported an 18-wheeler crashed into a row of cars. Five people were killed, including the driver. So, Gov. Foster ordered a new speed limit for big rigs - 55 mph.