The Historic Caddo Lake Drawbridge to Celebrate 100 Years in 2014
(PRWEB) October 03, 2013 -- In 2014, the Caddo Lake “Vertical Lift” Drawbridge crossing Caddo Lake in Mooringsport, Louisiana will celebrate 100 years. Built in 1914 under the authority of the Caddo Parish Police Jury during “Mooring’s Port’s” oil boom era, it is one of Louisiana’s very earliest surviving bridges. Slated for replacement in the late 1980’s, a citizen’s campaign was launched to save the unique landmark.
The saving endeavor triggered the Louisiana Department of Transportation & Development to conduct its first historic bridge survey. The evaluation indicated that the bridge is nationally significant due to its designer, its unique design, and the fact that it is the sole surviving example of this bridge type in the State of Louisiana. With this determination, the bridge became eligible to be presented for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. On October 18, 1996, the Historic Caddo Lake Drawbridge was officially entered into the National Register of Historic Places.
Funds that were originally appropriated for removing the structure were used to refurbish it as a pedestrian walkway and preserve it as tourist attraction and civil engineering landmark. Today, the drawbridge is a proud asset of the Caddo Parish Department of Parks & Recreation. It is open to the public from dusk until dawn. The town of Mooringsport is located 12 miles north of Shreveport, Louisiana.
Additional information is available at http://www.caddolakedrawbridge.com.
Darren Guin, http://www.caddolakedrawbridge.com/, 318-813-1421, [email protected]
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