Groundwork set for future historic bridge rehabilitations

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development needed a statewide historic bridge inventory for bridges constructed through 1970 to support project programming. Our historians completed the necessary data collection and evaluations for more than 4,500 bridges. We determined 150 of those are eligible according to National Register criteria.

We negotiated a Programmatic Agreement that outlines LADOTD’s commitment to historic bridges and streamlines Section 106 for LADOTD project execution. We researched and developed a historic context that guided the National Register evaluation criteria and eligibility determinations. We used the compiled data and created an evaluation methodology. Using the methodology and onsite surveying and photography, we assessed the bridges for National Register significance and historic integrity. We further prioritized the historic bridges based on engineering criteria to select for preservation. Our work in this project phase laid essential groundwork for the current task of developing historic bridge management plans that will guide future rehabilitation efforts.