Hudson Creek Bridge (1936)
Description
This bridge was constructed from about April to September 1936 by Robinson & Young, contractors, of Baton Rouge. It was accepted by the state highway department on September 11.The previous bridge, a similar concrete bridge at the same location, had been washed out by a flood the previous year. It was reported to be the only bridge on the Alexandria-Colfax section of US 71 that was retained when the old gravel highway was reconstructed with concrete around 1930.
The 1936 bridge was permanently closed to through traffic in 1967 when work began on the next reconstruction of US 71 through the area. This time the highway was straightened, causing the new bridge to be built roughly 100' to the southwest. The Grant Parish police jury requested that the state highway department transfer control of the old bridge to the parish rather than demolishing it.
Facts
- Overview
- Abandoned concrete stringer bridge over Hudson Creek on US 71
- Location
- Grant Parish, Louisiana
- Status
- Abandoned; bypassed by new bridge
- History
- Built 1936; abandoned 1967
- Builder
- - Robinson & Young (Baton Rouge)
- Design
- Concrete stringer
- Approximate latitude, longitude
- +31.42083, -92.51840 (decimal degrees)
31°25'15" N, 92°31'06" W (degrees°minutes'seconds") - Approximate UTM coordinates
- 15/545773/3476342 (zone/easting/northing)
- Inventory number
- BH 44537 (Bridgehunter.com ID)
Update Log
- January 12, 2023: Updated by Roger Collins: Added construction and abandonment dates, contractor, and text block.
- March 23, 2012: New photos from Cliff Darby
- March 24, 2010: New photos from David Backlin
- March 23, 2010: Added by David Backlin
Related Bridges
- Hudson Creek Bridge (1920) (Predecessor)
- Hudson Creek Bridge (1920) (Predecessor)
- Hudson Creek Bridge (1920) (Predecessor)
Sources
- David Backlin - us71 [at] cox [dot] net
- Cliff Darby - cliffsta1987 [at] gmail [dot] com
Comments
Looking at historic aerials, this bridge was still in use in 1955, but by 1971 US 71 had clearly been rerouted and the old alignment abandoned. If the "new" bridge was built in 1969 I think it is safe to assume this bridge was bypassed and closed around this same time. The road bed had already been torn up in the 1971 aerial.
Ah, yes. I think this is the bridge I remember on US 71.
This page's URL is http://bridgehunter.com/la/grant/bh44537/
The current bridge was constructed in 1958. Thanks for the info on the old bridge. I have attached a family photo from 1943 featuring the old bridge.