Crescent City Connection

Crescent City Connection
Coordinates	29°56′19″N 90°03′27″W / 29.93861°N 90.05750°W / 29.93861; -90.05750
Carries	8 lanes of US 90 Bus. 2 reversible HOV lanes
Crosses	Mississippi River
Locale	New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.A.
Other name(s)	CCC, Greater New Orleans Bridge
Maintained by	LA DOTD
ID number	023602830802441 (eastbound) 023602830802442 (westbound)
Characteristics
Design	Twin steel truss cantilever bridges
Total length	13,428 ft (4,093 m)
Width	52 ft (16 m) (eastbound) 92 ft (28 m) (westbound)
Longest span	1,575 ft (480 m) 1,594 ft (486 m)
Clearance below	170 ft (52 m)
History
Construction cost	$50,000,000 (1958) $550,000,000 (1988)
Opened	April 1958 (eastbound) September 1988 (westbound)
Statistics
Daily traffic	180,000 120,000 (2008)
Toll	No (collected 1958-1964 on original span; 1989-2013 on new span)
Crescent City Connection Location in Louisiana

1,575 ft (480 m)

$50,000,000 (1958)

The Crescent City Connection (CCC), formerly the Greater New Orleans Bridge (GNO), refers to twin cantilever bridges that carry U.S. Highway 90 Business (US 90 Bus.) over the Mississippi River in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. They are tied as the fifth-longest cantilever bridges in the world. Each span carries four general-use automobile lanes; additionally the westbound span has two reversible HOV lanes across the river.

It is the farthest downstream bridge on the Mississippi River. It is also the widest and most heavily traveled bridge on the lower Mississippi; the only other comparable bridges on the Mississippi are in the St. Louis area, those being the Poplar Street Bridge, the Jefferson Barracks Bridge, and the Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge.

What later became known as the Crescent City Connection was the second bridge to span the Mississippi south of Baton Rouge after the Huey P. Long Bridge a few miles up river from the city, and the first bridge across the river in New Orleans itself.

The Mississippi River Bridge Authority, known since 1989 as the Crescent City Connection Division (CCCD), began construction of the first span in November 1954, which opened in April 1958 as the Greater New Orleans Bridge. At its opening, the bridge was the longest cantilever bridge in the world, although in terms of main span length it was third after the Forth Bridge and the Quebec Bridge. It carried two lanes of traffic in each direction, and spurred growth in the suburban area known as the West Bank (for its location on the western bank of the river; it is geographically southeast of New Orleans). Construction of the second span began in March 1981. Despite promises that it would be ready for the 1984 Louisiana World Exposition, it did not open to traffic until September 1988. The second span was originally designated as the Greater New Orleans Bridge No. 2. Both bridges were designed by Modjeski & Masters, Inc.. As soon as the new span was opened, the old span was temporarily closed in phases to replace the asphalt-on-steel deck with concrete. All the exits and entrances to the bridge were replaced as well.