Old Bayou Jean de Jean Bridge
Description
The bridge was built c.1932 as part of a paving project on LA Highway 20, which ran from Alexandria to Shreveport and was one of the original state highways designated in 1921. After the system was renumbered in 1955, it served as part of LA 1 until the highway was moved onto a new, straighter alignment between Boyce and Lena in 1963. The old route followed the Texas & Pacific (now Union Pacific) Railroad closer to the Red River. The replacement bridge (presumably built in 1963, but an unknown source cites 1969) was itself replaced by the current span in 2013.Sources: 1932 construction date based on comparison of surfacing shown on 1931 and 1932 state highway maps and identical state project # for paving project and bridge project. 1963 realignment based on bridge/drain dates from UglyBridges.com and comparison of 1963 and 1964 state highway maps. Date for current 2013 span from UglyBridges.com.
Date of building contract finalized:
Written by James RhedApril 20th 1931
Facts
- Overview
- Abandoned Warren deck truss bridge over Bayou Jean de Jean on former LA 1
- Location
- Rapides Parish, Louisiana
- Status
- Abandoned
- History
- Built c1932; Abandoned 1960s
- Design
- Warren deck truss
- Also called
- Bayou Jean de Jean Bridge
- Approximate latitude, longitude
- +31.39316, -92.68903 (decimal degrees)
31°23'35" N, 92°41'21" W (degrees°minutes'seconds") - Approximate UTM coordinates
- 15/529564/3473217 (zone/easting/northing)
- Inventory number
- BH 76354 (Bridgehunter.com ID)
Update Log
- November 19, 2017: Essay added by James Rhed
- October 9, 2017: Updated by Cliff Darby: Added category "Built during 1930s"
- October 3, 2017: Updated by Roger Collins: Updated description (clarified some dates).
- September 15, 2017: Updated by Cliff Darby: Bridge is actually a deck truss structure
- March 31, 2017: Updated by Clark Vance: Added category "Fence guardrail"
- March 31, 2017: Updated by Cliff Darby: Added category "LA 1"
Comments
Thanks for the updates, Roger!
Now I am even more intrigued by the abandoned bridge northwest of here on the old alignment of highway 1. Carnahan Creek is about as big as Bayou Jean de Jean and is a low area. The bridge is visible on Google Earth. Makes me wonder if it is also a deck truss.
There is at least one and likely two more similar, bypassed bridges a few miles north of this, but both are now blocked by private property or posted signs, at the least. Historic aerials confirms this, and current GE imagery shows that at least one is extant.
This page's URL is http://bridgehunter.com/la/rapides/bh76354/
Thanks for the excellent new info and pic, James! Would you mind sharing how we can find images like what you posted, as well as the contract and construction info? I would love to do my own independent research on other bridges.
Specific to this bridge, we could narrow down the exact date of closing / abandonment to when the levee was constructed here, as the levee was plopped directly over old SR 20 / Highway 1. I imagine both the old route and current route were open concurrently at least until the levee was constructed, severing the route.