A couple of weeks back I was traveling north on U.S. Highway 71 between Colfax and Aloha when I just happened to glance to my left as the road crossed over the bayou. In the distance through the trees I could just make out the form of an old moss covered bridge. Being both a curious cat and a habitual camera bug I pulled off the highway to investigate.
Indeed the was an old bridge back there and now my interest was peaked to the point that I began searching for a path through the dense woods to reach it. I found a spot where the old road once intersected the highway and decided to attempt to walk in it's path to get some photos. This road must have been abandoned decades ago because there was no sign of a road anymore. The woods had retaken everything. Following the principle that the shortest distance between to points in a straight line I managed to navigate my way to where the old bridge crosses the boggy water.
If I hadn't paid attention I may have wandered onto the bridge without even noticing it. There is no change in the groundcover from solid ground to the concrete bridge.
The bridge, as it sits, appears to be rather narrow, possibly a single lane bridge. The width of it made me stop and ponder whether or not it was a railroad bridge or not. I dismissed this theory very quickly because all railroad bridges in Louisiana are made of wood. No railroad around these parts would have invested in a concrete bridge only to abandon it years later. Only new railroad bridges are made of concrete.
I have no idea where the abandoned road my have lead to but again an old concrete bridge would have been constructed for a road that was well traveled. All I can say is that it is just one of the mysterious structures that dot the landscape of the bayou state of Louisiana.
Here are my photos:
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Old LA 1 route from Nee Orleans to Shreveport
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