At left, the new bridge between Logansport, Louisiana and Joaquin, Texas is now open to traffic. It is shown at the far left. The old bridge, shown at center, is closed and will eventually be demolished.
Photo taken Dec. 1, 2015 shows the new bridge under construction. This bridge is now fully complete
A brand new bridge which crosses the Sabine River from Logansport, Louisiana to Joaquin, Texas is now open to traffic.
We were in Logansport yesterday to check out the Sabine River and see how things looked after the flooding had been relieved. Once there, we found ourselves a good bit disoriented as buildings we were familiar with seemed to be in unfamiliar locations and at unfamiliar angles. I thought I was losing my mind… But my directionally superior daughter quickly surmised we were turned around because we came in to the downtown area through a different route.
Ah ha! A new road had been opened, it occurred to me at once. At least I wasn’t altogether losing my mind.
I noticed cars traveling east and west on the new bridge, while the familiar bridge which crosses directly from downtown into Texas was completely closed and void of activity. I knew this would happen eventually, being just a bit familiar with the project on which construction started two years ago. I just didn’t expect how isolated downtown Logansport would seem without the constant traffic headed towards the usually busy bridge.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m hardly dissing it. It was really quite neat there yesterday, in downtown… Perhaps even the way it was meant to be… quiet, quaint, a little more friendly-feeling, with just local traffic passing through. I am anxious to see how it all comes together.
The effort to replace the 78-year-old Logansport-Joaquin bridge began as long ago as the 1980s. Logansport officials and residents pushed long and hard to have two bridges ultimately built and when all is complete, they will have gotten their wish.
An estimated 12,000-plus vehicles were driving over the single two-lane bridge each day, as of 2013 statistics. The bridge has been extremely important to the transportation industry, as it provides a connection over the Sabine River between Louisiana and Texas.
Now that the new bridge is open, the existing bridge will soon be demolished to make way for a second new two-lane bridge. Once the second new bridge is complete, the bridge closest to the railroad bridge will eventually handle only eastbound traffic and the bridge which will replace the existing old bridge will handle only westbound traffic.
I would love to see a drawing of how it will all come together.