Photo courtesy of DOTD

The Caddo Lake Bridge is anticipated to fully open to traffic in early-October 2024.

More than a year of detours will soon be in the rearview mirror of motorists traveling over the Caddo Lake Bridge on Louisiana Highway 1 in the community of Mooringsport, northwest of Shreveport.

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) announced Aug. 30 that the bulk of the major construction of the modernized $17.3 million crossing project is finished. All that is left to do is install the bridge's concrete barrier rail, signage and striping.

Approximately $18.2 million was initially allocated for the north Caddo Parish project, but DOTD Public Information Officer Erin Buchanan told the Advocate that the agency was able to save money when it realized the bridge needed to be demolished immediately rather than allowing one lane to remain open while the other was being worked on.

"We were able to expedite the project timeline [and save money] by doing that because the contractor did not have to manage any traffic control," she said.

Construction on the new structure began in 2022 following necessary utility relocations.

Shortly after the beginning of 2024, all the concrete pile foundations were driven into place for the new La. 1/Caddo Lake Bridge project. Those types of piles act as posts or columns that are driven into the water to support the bridge.

At the same time, Jensen Construction Co., an Iowa contractor in charge of the project, poured concrete for the bridge deck, which makes up the driving surface. Nearby, work also progressed to complete the bent caps, which sit atop the piles and help distribute pressure as vehicles travel across the bridge. Once that task was done, crews moved on to the installation of the girders that serve to support the bridge deck.

In between recent rain showers this summer, the contractor worked on building the La. 1 roadway approaches that tie into the new bridge.

DOTD is anticipating that the Caddo Lake span will be fully open to traffic in early October, with its progress dependent on weather conditions and other factors that can impact construction timelines. If the job is completed by then, by Halloween those traversing the towns of Oil City, Mooringsport, and points north and south will have another way to do so.

The original Caddo Bridge, which was built in 1940, was removed in 2022 due to its deteriorating condition, and to help to expedite the new bridge project schedule. Prior to its demolition, about 4,800 vehicles crossed the structure daily.

It is adjacent to the 1914 Caddo Lake drawbridge designed by J.A.L. Waddell, the same engineer responsible for the A Truss Bridge over Cross Bayou in downtown Shreveport. That bridge has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1996.

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