Countless old bridges span waterways throughout Louisiana, and an event Wednesday will begin a process to identify those that are potentially "historic." An effort to aid in the preservation of a number of Louisiana's historic bridges will get under way at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the South Regional Library in Lafayette,
Photo courtesy of DOTD website
According to a press release from the Center for Louisiana Studies, the study is being jointly-commissioned by the state Department of Transportation and Development, the State Historic Preservation Office and the Federal Highway Administration to create a process for identifying, managing and preserving historic bridges statewide.
Wednesday's meeting is open to the public and will focus on identifying, or inventorying, bridges that could be deemed "historic."
The consulting firm hired for the project, Mead & Hunt, along with LADOTD, will begin researching the history of the state's old bridges. The consultants will identify a select number of bridges and will make recommendations for preserving the structures and getting them included in the National Register of Historic Places.