The Huey P. Long Bridge is a combined railroad/highway bridge and is one of the three primary Mississippi River crossings in the Greater New Orleans area. The bridge carries two railroad tracks and four highway lanes of U.S. 90. New Orleans Public Belt Railroad owns and operates the bridge, which is the longest railroad bridge in the U.S. Approximately 50,000 vehicles now travel across the bridge daily.
Huey P. Long and Transportation
Governor Huey P. Long played a major role in transportation infrastructure for Louisiana. In 1929, Governor Long launched a program aimed at improving Louisiana’s road conditions. The program resulted in nearly 13, 000 miles of paved road, more than 100 bridges and a new airport in New Orleans. Long’s highway program was paid for with a tax on gasoline, just as today’s TIMED Program.
Long initiated the New Mississippi River Bridge Project in New Orleans. He was assassinated on September 10, 1935, three months before the bridge was complete. On December 16, 1935, the bridge opened to traffic and became known as the Huey P. Long Bridge.
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