A view of the Huey P. Long Bridge that few folks get to enjoy! The photograph was taken by Photography Unlimited on April 1, 1952 during an apparent normal crossing. Three days later, though, the bridge--in service since 1935--was damaged by 90 mile per hour winds. The storm, which also caused considerable damage in the Harahan area, ripped away a half mile of guard railing along with several heavy metal plates from the walkway that runs alongside the track. The bridge had to be closed to train and auto traffic for almost 5 1/2 hours.

The bridge is currently in the third phase of a seven-year project to alter the structure in order to provide wider and safer lanes for automobile traffic. The $1.2 billion job began in April 2006 and is scheduled for completion in 2013.