Vintage Video Takes You Back to the Building of the Basin Bridge

Chances are if you've lived in Acadiana for more than a day or two you spent several hours on the structure that is commonly known as The Basin Bridge. The bridge, also known as, the Louisiana Airborne Memorial Bridge spans the width of the Atchafalaya Basin over a distance of 18.2 miles.

While many of the times we think of the structure we think of it in a negative context, it really has been a positive influence on the economy and growth of our region. Sure we all like to talk about the speed limits, the speed traps, the construction, and the crashes, but out of the hundreds of times, I have crossed the bridge only a few of those crossings have been marred by lengthy delays.

The video we've posted above takes us back in time to the early 1970s. That's when construction on the project began. As you'll see in the video, it was not an easy task to build a solid roadway on so much muck, but they did it.

If you have pictures or videos from the bridge construction or any other images that are of historical significance, we'd sure love to see them. It's always nice to remember the past while we keep an eye on the future of South Louisiana.