Skip to main content

Belle Chasse Tunnel and Judge Perez Bridge


Being in an area that is surrounded by water, between bayous, lakes, rivers and the Gulf of Mexico, the New Orleans area is home to some notable bridges, such as the famous Huey Long Bridge and the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway. However, there are some lesser known water crossings in this corner of Louisiana to check out as well, such as the Belle Chasse Tunnel and Judge Perez Bridge, located in the New Orleans suburb of Belle Chasse, Louisiana.

The Belle Chasse Tunnel carries southbound traffic and the accompanying Judge Perez Bridge carries northbound traffic as it crosses the Algiers Canal that is part of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. Just over the border into Plaquemines Parish from Jefferson Parish, LA 23 is the highway that use these crossings to continue its southward march towards the southern end of the Mississippi River delta and serves the roughly 23,000 residents of Plaquemines Parish along the way. The 800 foot long Belle Chasse Tunnel came first, as it had opened in 1956. The parallel and much longer Judge Perez Bridge is a vertical lift bridge at 2,557 feet in length and was opened in 1968, in order to increase traffic capacity to and from Plaquemines Parish. More recently, the Belle Chasse Tunnel was featured in scenes from the movie Kidnap, starring Halle Berry and was filmed in various locations around New Orleans.


However, both the bridge and tunnel are nearing the end of their useful lives and are no long for this world, so visit this piece of historical infrastructure while you have the chance.. There are plans to replace both the Belle Chasse Tunnel and the Judge Perez Bridge with a four lane bridge over the Algiers Canal. The LA 23 corridor has a current average daily traffic volume of over 33,000 vehicles per day and serves as a primary access point to residents, business and industry of Plaquemines Parish, which means it is vital to have an efficient crossing of the Algiers Canal. The planned replacement bridge is meant to benefit the Belle Chasse Naval Air Station and provide more efficient commute times in both day-to-day activities and hurricane evacuations. The tunnel often leaks, which forced the bridge to be converted to two way traffic whenever there was a leaky tunnel. The replacement project will provide a new fixed span bridge carrying traffic in both directions, thereby reducing delays associated with operations and maintenance of the older bridge and tunnel.

The new bridge in Belle Chasse will be Louisiana's first public-private partnership in order to finance a major transportation project, as a legislative panel approved a $162 million plan in December 2019 to replace the existing Judge Perez Bridge. However, that means that tolls will be levied for travelers crossing the new bridge, as unpopular as that may be. While construction on the new bridge is expected to start in 2021 and be completed in 2024. With four lanes of traffic, there will also be a multi-use bicycle path that is built as part of the project. However, the Belle Chasse Tunnel itself will not be replaced and motor vehicle traffic will be moved to the new bridge. I didn't see anything stating what the tunnel would be used for, so perhaps there is a future for the Belle Chasse Tunnel after all.






How to Get There:


Sources and Links:
Belle Chasse Tunnel - Bridgehunter.com
Belle Chasse Tunnel Video - Roadwaywiz on YouTube
Judge Perez Bridge - Bridgehunter.com
Project Profile: Belle Chasse Bridge and Tunnel Replacement - Federal Highway Administration
Plan for $162M new Belle Chasse bridge to be paid for with tolls wins approval - The Advocate

Comments

Unknown said…
residents of belle chasse often refer to the tunnel as "belle chasse car wash" due to the many leaks. i lived there for 30 years.

Popular posts from this blog

Bridgeport Covered Bridge

The Bridgeport Covered Bridge is a historic crossing of the South Fork Yuba River located in Nevada County, California near Nevada City.  The Bridgeport Covered Bridge opened as a tolled crossing during 1862 as part of the larger Henness Pass Road.  The Bridgeport Covered Bridge closed to vehicle traffic during 1972 and was recently restored during 2021.  The Bridgeport Covered Bridge is historically California's longest covered span is thought to likely be the longest such structure surviving in the world.  Featured as the blog cover is the Bridgeport Covered Bridge during 1950 when it was an active part of Pleasant Valley Road.   The history of the Bridgeport Covered Bridge The history of Bridgeport Covered Bridge was featured in the  September 1950 California Highways & Public Works .  Bridgeport Covered Bridge was constructed during 1862 over the South Fork Yuba River.  The Bridgeport Covered Bridge served as part of the Virginia Turnpike Company maintained Henness Pass Roa

Former California State Route 215

  California State Route 215 was a short-lived state highway which existed in the Los Angeles Metropolitain area after the 1964 State Highway Renumbering.  California State Route 215 was aligned from US Route 60 at 5th Street in Pomona north to US Route 66 near Claremont via Garey Avenue.  California State Route 215 came to be after California State Route 71 was bisected in Pomona due to relinquishment of a portion of Garey Avenue due to the opening of a portion of the Corona Freeway (now Chino Valley Freeway) during 1958.  California State Route 215 was deleted by the Legislature during 1965. The history of California State Route 215 The initial segment of what was to become California State Route 215 was added to the State Highway System as part of the 1909 First State Highway Bond Act.  The First State Highway Bond Act defined what would become  Legislative Route Number 19  (LRN 19) as running from Claremont to Riverside.  The segment of LRN 19 between Claremont and Pomona would in

US Route 70 over San Augustin Pass

San Augustin Pass is a gap in the Organ Mountains, San Augustin Mountains and San Andres in Dona Ana County east of Las Cruces.  San Augustin Pass lies an elevation of approximately 5,600 feet above sea level and was originally traversed by New Mexico State Route 3.  US Route 70 would be realigned over San Augustin Pass during 1934 when it was extended to Los Angeles, California.  During 1963 US Route 82 would be extended through San Augustin Pass to Las Cruces.  Since the early the early 1990s signage of US Route 82 has been withdrawn to Alamogordo.  San Augustin Pass and US Route 70 are largely known for the numerous closures due to test firings originating from the White Sands Missile Range.   Part 1; the history of highway designations over San Augustin Pass San Augustin Pass traditionally has been the easiest from the Rio Grande in Las Cruces east to the Tularosa Basin.  The terrain conditions at San Augustin Pass allowed for an easy crossing in the gap between the Organ Mountains