The Mississippi River Bridge (also named the Horace Wilkinson bridge) is the main transport (Interstate-10) across the Mississippi river from Baton Rouge to points west. There are three lanes in each direction and the bridge is always crowded with all sorts of vehicles. Seemingly whatever has wheels and a motor travels across this bridge. Lol! While it is not a pretty bridge (in my opinion), it is robust because it handles over 100,000 vehicles daily. I really should give it five stars because it does its job. read more

Mississippi River Bridge - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Baton Rouge, Louisiana

There is one thing breathtaking about this bridge: You can see the vastness of Ol' Man River and know that it all started as a small offshoot from a lake in Minnesota. This is a river that has been written about countless times and intertwined into so many classic pieces of literature. That, my friends, is something to see. But let's get back to the actual bridge. This bridge is very forgettable, other than the fact that you feel like you're ascending into the sky on the way up and descending from the same location on the way down. It's treacherous during a rainstorm, which often hits this part of the Gulf Coast during summer hours. Access onto and off the bridge can also, at times, be a complete nightmare. This is not the Golden Gate Bridge. Nor the Verrazzano Narrows Bridge. Nor is it the 59th Street Bridge or the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Those are bridges that are iconic: you remember them for their engineering, structure and beauty -- as I've been on each of them and they are committed to my memory. The Mississippi River Bridge is functional: it gets you from one side to the other and sometimes it doesn't even do a good job of that. But I do not recollect it for any of the attributes that make a bridge a remarkable structure. So that, amongst other things, make this bridge just a solid OK, which is 3 stars. read more

Drove over the bridge from one side of the Mississippi to the other and got a great view of Baton Rouge. Not really scenic the other way back. Bridge is definitely well kept and maintenance unlike the rest of the highway. read more

Ol' Man River! Crossing the Mississippi is always an event in my book. Crossing it in Baton Rouge is a special spot- this is a cool old bridge! It's the tallest bridge to cross the Mississippi, and it's a cantilevered bridge. It's a cool looking bridge, but could use some artwork on it. The lanes sorta narrow when approaching the bridge, so be sure to knuckle down and stay in your lane while taking in the magnificient views from the top of the bridge. From here, you can see the Capitol building, river barges, steam boats, and all kinds of birds! People complain how this bridge is likely falling apart, so just go faster over it. I've yet to encounter a traffic problem on this bridge, it's always been smooth sailing for me. Thankfully, there's no tolls. This bridge is technically the Horace Wilkinson Bridge. read more

Whenever we're traveling to New Orleans I just love when we get to the Mississippi River Bridge because not only does it mean getting closer to NOLA it such a BEAUTIFUL bridge!! It really is a cool experience when crossing the bridge..with the elevation of the bridge & seeing the water all around you..wow!! Stay awesome Mississippi River Bridge..till we meet again. -Rebecca out read more

Mississippi River Bridge - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Baton Rouge, Louisiana

The Horace Wilkinson Bridge that crosses the Mississippi river is a cantilever bridge aka "the new bridge" to locals because it is the younger of the two bridges that cross the river in Baton Rouge. The elevation starts at the Louisiana Highway 1 (LA 1) exit south of Port Allen. Then it goes up, up, up, scary high till you pass over or pass out! LOL The bridge remains an elevated viaduct up to the Dalrymple Drive exit to Louisiana State University. It is the highest bridge on the Mississippi River. Crossing this bridge can be a traffic nightmare. However, the stunning views of the beautiful mighty Mississippi River from the top outweigh any traffic woes just like in the lyrics of Hank Snows song. "Oh, you Mississippi River with waters so deep and wide, my thoughts of you keep rising just like an evening tide, I'm just like a seagull that's left the sea, Oh, your muddy waters keep on calling me. I'm gonna pack my grip and head that way, You'll see me hanging 'round again some day 'Cause I know that's the only way to lose, The Mississippi River blues!" read more

Mississippi River Bridge - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Baton Rouge, Louisiana

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The Mississippi River Bridge in Baton Rouge has caused me an incredible amount of frustration over the years. Sure it's a cantilever bridge which just so happens to be one of my favorite bridge designs, but the traffic and approaches are ridiculous. The Approaches It doesn't matter if you're heading westbound or eastbound on I-10; the massive curve in the roadway causes lots of problems. If you happen to be heading westbound, you'll get two lanes, but the curve is so drastic that traffic slows to 30 mph or below. This causes nearly constant delays on I-10W. Then when you're headed eastbound the interstate actually drops to one lane as it merges with I-110. I can't be sure, but an engineer buddy told me this is one of the few places nationwide where the interstate is actually only one lane. Traffic This bridge has near constant delays. When a car breaks down or there is a crash, prepare to sit for a very long time. I don't know if the issues arise because of the different agencies who patrol this bridge, or if it just takes too long to clear incidents. Whatever it is, anything that happens will back traffic up for miles. The Good This is a beautiful bridge. The view of the river is spectacular if you're lucky enough to be a passenger while crossing it. The view of the bridge itself from the capital is also amazing. It connects East Baton Rouge Parish and West Baton Rouge Parish. I am not sure what goes on in WBR, but EBR is the state capital. This paragraph doesn't really have a lot to do with the bridge, but I love referring to parishes using acronyms. Try it and you'll like it. I am sure that I could find other fun and interesting things to say about this bridge, but you really need to check it out for yourself. read more

Mississippi River Bridge - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Baton Rouge, Louisiana

length and clearance, decks and structure, traffic patterns and congestion... borrowing from Sir Rod the Mod: "I wouldn't quote you no Andi, Rebecca, or Curt 'Cause it's all been said before Make the best out of the bad, just laugh it off, ha You didn't have to come here anyway" it's all been said before by 18 persons with interests in bridges and captured in some six-dozen images. rarely is there bridge enough for the people who need it and even then the merges and diverges will jam up traffic plenty. still, the Horace Wilkinson Bridge is a worth a look. it is a cantilevered through truss and it looks like a bridge is supposed to look so we look at it while we can until some sleek new horrible curvey or cabled thing takes its place and then its presence will be most noticed in its absence. FYI: 4550' across, 134' down read more

Simple pleasures. Great views of the Mississippi River and the boats on a mission navigating the muddy moving waters. Live vicariously passenger side through the attached video clip! 5 Stars for the TOLL FREE aspect of crossing this bridge! 5 Stars for the clear skies full of sun and beautiful steelwork juxtaposed onto the blue for this passenger. This road weary warrior says with thanksgiving, 5 Stars for this Lord's Day, Hurray! read more

Mississippi River Bridge - Inside the bridge! - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Baton Rouge, Louisiana

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I do not like this bridge at all. It is beautiful to look at, and I am not afraid it will fall down while I am on it, but the approach from either side is nerve wracking and more than kind of scary. Neither side comes at the bridge head on. And the traffic in this area is always heavy, any time of day. I can not relay the views while on the bridge, because being the control freak I am, I am usually driving and I am too afraid to spend too much time looking around because of the traffic. I am usually white knuckling the steering wheel in an attempt to get over and off this bridge. Oh well. At least I don't get the feeling I will die because of the bridge collapsing. The whole traffic thing is another issue in and of itself, a contributing factor, but the bridge itself is safe. I think. I hope. read more

Mississippi River Bridge - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Ok. Here goes my first bridge review. If you are westbound on I 10 you get to the bridge by driving through BR. The approach narrows to two lanes and winds around to the bridge. I have rarely encountered back up traffic heading this way but sometimes traffic can slow going over but then speeds up to posted speeds when you are on the west side. Heading eastbound it is a different story. Sometimes traffic can be backed up several miles from the bridge moving along at 10-15 mph. This is due to a bottleneck while exiting the bridges east side while merging onto I 110. I 110 is the spur that actually goes north toward downtown. On the bridge, eastbound bridge traffic can either merge left onto I 110 if they are going downtown or merge right if they are continuing on I 10 which 95% of the traffic does. The two lanes of traffic staying on I 10 veers right and slows dramatically when merging with I 110. This slowing continues during the day and causes the backup especially when an accident, breakdown or any other kind of roadway problem occurs. Unfortunately there is only one Plan B. As you enter Port Allen you can exit and take Highway 1 north to the Hwy. 190 bridge that is a few miles distant to cross over and then take I 110 south back to I 10. However by the time you get to that exit you are already on the bridge approach and should stay on it. If you get caught in the traffic jam back a few miles you have no plan B. That's why I give this bridge a 2. Eastbound traffic is always at the mercy of this poorly designed traffic flow. Yes the bridge does get me over the river without getting wet however sometimes it can be painfully slow. For an interstate highway system bridge this is a serious problem for drivers and needs to be reengineered. read more

I've been crossing this bridge since the day I was born. Every trip from Texas to Mississippi, I can always remember this bridge in my memories. It isn't anything spectacular like the Golden Gate Bridge in California or The Seven Mile Bridge in Florida or even the Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge in MA, but structurally it is a decent bridge if you aren't looking for aesthetics. I've noticed that a lot of Yelpers blamed the bridge for the traffic instead, of seeing the elephant in the room and blaming the drivers which would be smarter. However, nobody ever said that all Yelpers were intelligent. As a child, I've had many images of this bridge from morning to night through the rain and traffic, but this bridge serves it purpose of being an aid to get several drivers from one side to another. I've never had any complaints crossing this bridge, even in traffic, this bridge held up perfectly when all the lanes were cluttered with angry drivers. Also, the scenery upon crossing is a vast beautiful river. I bet it is filled with all kinds of wildlife. Every single time, I cross this bridge, it always takes me to a part of my childhood traveling with my parents and siblings such precious innocent days that I miss. Thank you, Mississippi River Bridge for serving your purpose and providing my family's vehicles with supportive steelwork to safely get us on our way. We are greatly appreciated! read more

I'm not sure how many stars this REALLY deserves. On one hand it's useful but that's like every other bridge in the world. But on the other hand, I really don't know when the last time they did maintenance was. I HATE when you're coming back from Texas (anywhere from the west.) and traffic is backed up almost to the Lobdell exit. Not only that but when the ENTIRE bridge is packed bumper to bumper, west and eastbound lanes and there are A LOT of 18 wheelers on it. Kind of scary. Makes you wonder how much weight this bridge can hold. I'm so happy that we still have the old bridge (Huey P. Long Bridge) as an option. A barge hit it earlier this year and it was inspected so it should be safe. Right? read more

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I hate this bridge. It has great views of the river, but it's super hard to get over this bridge without major traffic problems or accidents. read more

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Definitely a vital artery for connecting northern and southern Louisiana. It's a nice bridge with nice views, it just tends to get congested with traffic. read more

Although I've crossed this bridge many many times over the years I have never encountered the daily traffic issues the locals deal with. This mammoth superstructure is a beautiful aging structure that was open in 1968 making it the highest bridge crossing "Old Man River" to date and the 7th longest cantilever bridge in the world, the traffic issues alone warrants it's replacement in the not so distance future. There is little doubt that the new bridge won't incorporate a cantilever design but will most likely be replaced with a modified suspension bridge with grand cable stays and modern illumination that will enhance the resume of some architectural design firm rather than address the pure functionality required to remedy the traffic volume. The demolition of this nostalgic structure referred to as the Horace Wilkinson Bridge or "New Bridge" by the locals that has served so well for the past 47 years will be documented in the journals of history for future generations but the panoramic views and feelings experienced by millions will be lost forever. read more

Mississippi River Bridge - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Baton Rouge, Louisiana

I have travelled several times on the Horace N. Wilkinson Bridge between Baton Rouge and Port Allen (the first exit heading West). It's actually one of 2 bridges that cross the Mississippi River in Metro Baton Rouge, and both are kind of ugly and stunning at the same time. Bridge Horace is even worse coming back into Baton Rouge during commute hours and my best advice is to stay in the right line as long as possible. read more

I hooray frequent travelers who find this bridge traffic bad. Well..damn what do you expect? Aren't you driving? Don't you have a vehicle that runs? Or do you just own the bridge as if you shedded sweat & blood building it? Haha, I don't think so. So quit your constant gripe. I applaude the person who decided to run their vehicle off the railings of the bridge. You successfully succeeded in driving. I hope you enjoyed the plunge. A real rollercoaster ride. Wasn't it? I guess they found the prices at the local amusement park expensive. Makes sense I suppose.. a water filled thrilled ride more thrilling. Where do the traffic arise from? Hmm.. let's investigate. Well, the roads are congested.. too many people traveling. Stop traveling easy fix. Too many slow drivers, if your unaligned vehicle holding you back get an alignment. Lower traffic keep to the right. Here's a good one. Learn how to pay attention to the road & read. Don't even try to complain if you're the ones who get over last minute if an accident is reported. Mississippi River bridge yep, the name makes sense. The bridge is crossing over the Mississippi River. This Old bridge has done a great job providing a passageway for me to and from the sip. Even if the traffic is 2 hours long due to ignorant & neglience drivers. Driving ain't for everyone. Come on y'all let's get it together instead of blaming the bridge for your poor driving skills. If the bridge wasn't there you'll catch hell trying to travel especially if your nonnative to the Rouge. read more

This bridge is officially named the Horace N. Wilkinson bridge (in honor of 3 generations of men all with the same name who served in the LA legislature in excess of 50 years) and referred to as the New Mississippi River Bridge by the people in and around the Baton Rouge area (or the New MRB)... So named because it replaced the old bridge (the old bridge still stands and is used daily) on US 190 and allowed for direct connection to I-10 whether traveling east or west...It is a beautiful and majestic cantilever bridge with great views of Death Valley (Tiger Stadium) and the LA state capital... You might be asking if the last statement is true why the "2"? Well it's because the idiots with LA DOTD who thought up the design for connecting said bridge had to have all been on peyote at the time.... because as one tries to enter the bridge heading west on I-10 the road narrows to 2 lanes with an elevated curve that one must slow down to around 30 mph to negotiate...HELLO TRAFFIC BACKUP!! Coming east on I-10 it gets even better (SARCASM!) cause the merge, after crossing the bridge, onto the main portion of I-10 narrows to 1 lane....HELLO TRAFFIC BACKUP!! If you try and cross this bridge at the wrong time of day, I-10 on either side of the bridge resembles a parking lot as opposed to a high speed highway...For that reason and that reason alone this majestic bridge with great views gets a "2"! read more

I am totally convinced that traffic follows me wherever I move. This does not excuse the traffic on the Mississippi River Bridge though. I can't say that I am not completely against this bridge, but I also have some complaints about it. When I lived in West Baton Rouge, I used to cross this bridge 7-days a week. If there was an 8th day, I probably would cross it then, too. Given that I have lived and visited cities where crossing a bridge required a toll fee, that right there is 2 stars. The 3rd star is for when this bridge has no traffic, it is quite easy to get across and you are in the west side or east side in no time. I cannot give it anymore than that though because when there is something that happens, there is either too much traffic or they shut it down! Unfortunately, there are not a lot of options to when they shut this bridge down. You will get re-routed to use the "old bridge" (a couple miles up) or you opt to take the ferry. In a perfect world, whoever designed this bridge would have estimated a bit better on the growth of Baton Rouge, but hey, it's not a perfect world, is it? Who knew Baton Rouge was gonna explode the way that it did and now crossing the bridge can be a real pain in the neck, especially when it's rush hour! Yes, beware of peak times (especially when coming from the West Baton Rouge area), traffic to get on the bridge can start as early as 3:00pm and end as late as 7:00pm. My suggestion is to get on Twitter and follow the various news handles that report traffic issue, bridge closures, etc. Always be in the know and you may avoid getting stuck on the MSRB. read more

As an out of towner I've always enjoyed coming across this bridge but it appears it's a pain in the arse for the locals. The elevation is pretty high but it has beautiful views of the river on both sides and I love the architecture of it. read more

Who designed this bridge?! One lane of traffic heading west. Always a delay! Makes me hate Baton Rouge!