Lafitte bridge in Lake Charles is losing the cross pistols

[MetroBTR]

Originally Posted by annie_himself

I don't know why they'd put money into a bridge that needs to be fully replaced.

Agreed. This seems a little unnecessary if the bridge is going to be replaced in the next few years.

[annie_himself]

Originally Posted by MetroBTR

Agreed. This seems a little unnecessary if the bridge is going to be replaced in the next few years.

Especially a purely aesthetic feature.

[CTtcg]

Well this is Louisiana and you know how bids sometimes go out to your buddies. *wink wink*

[SETXChris]

The bridge is due to be replaced, considering it was built in the 1940s and was part of HWY 90 BEFORE the Interstate Highway system started in the 1950s by IKE. My grandfather did the original casting of those crossed pistols on the bridge...in 1992, my now ex wife and I stopped at the plantation house in Scott to take a tour (my then wife had never seen such a place). As we were getting ready to leave, the owner had arrived. I told him my family was from Lawtell and last name was Boone. He asked if I was related to Daniel...yes, he is my 8th great uncle (we come from his brother, Squire's side of the family)...then I told him my grandfather did a lot of foundry work for the state including the crossed pistols and the Wishing Well in Baton Rouge..HE looked at me and said "Find the original casting of those pistols and I'll make you a millionaire overnight!"...Turns out (remember this was 1992), soo many people had chipped out several of them to take home as mantel pieces, the state had to have new ones cast from one they removed from the bridge in the late 1980s!...He told me they were sooo popular, I could sell the originals for bucks and get rich!! WELL, that was a nice idea but my grandfather was NOT a hoarder..when he was finished with a job, OUT into the yard went the original casting to rust away...and thats what happened to the casting of the pistols....(My now ex wife was more interested in it than I was...shown have known concerning how she kept all of our community property in our divorce!) Would be nice to have one of the originals for the family (only 4 boys on my dad's side...his sisters had 9 and 11 kids each...I dont know if the state would throw that many of them out to the family!) LOL....I HOPE the new I 10 bridge will have the pistols still in the bridge when the new one is built..look for I 210 to be used heavily when that happens..there will be no easy way to tear down and replace it except in place..though I doubt it will be an 8 lane...probably a 6 lane bridge (3 each way) at most.

[things and stuff]

That might be the only bridge on i10 that makes me nervous.

[thisismyname10]

It needs to be replaced but I wish they could build the new one while keeping open the old... this will cause traffic nightmares in Lake Charles. 210 is not big enough to house all the traffic in town.

[CTtcg]

Do you think it's possible for them to widen the 210 bridge? It's definitely designed differently, despite being only 10 years younger than the I10 bridge.

And yes it will cause a lot of nightmares because of all the traffic problems if it were closed. When it falls down then maybe they'll replace it.