MOORINGSPORT, LA — The Louisiana Department of Transportation (DOTD) joined local and state elected officials and members of the community to celebrate the official opening of the newly constructed bridge on LA 1 crossing Caddo Lake near Mooringsport in north Caddo Parish, Louisiana.

The event included a ribbon cutting that was open to the public, with members of the local community on either side of the bridge being some of the first to drive across the new $17.3 million structure.

The project began in October 2021 with an extensive utility relocation phase. The original bridge was built in 1940 and was closed to traffic in December 2021 due to the condition of the aging structure and with the safety of the traveling public being a top priority. It was subsequently demolished.

Construction on the new bridge began in the first quarter 2022 on a slightly adjusted alignment, providing an updated, modernized precast prestressed concrete girder span structure to serve the approximately 5,000 motorists who use the bridge on a daily basis. This particular bridge is a critical connector because of its location along LA 1, which remains one of the primary north-south corridors, running through hundreds of cities and towns across Louisiana.