Mile 233.9 - US 190 and Railroad Bridge (Old Bridge)

John Ruskey

20 Apr 2026 � 1 min read

233.9 US 190 and Railroad Bridge (Old Bridge)

The “Old Bridge” was originally opened in 1940 and officially named the Huey P. Long Bridge. Legend has it, that famous (or infamous, depending on your point of view) Louisiana Governor Huey P. Long had this bridge built to a height that would prevent large ship traffic from being able to navigate any further upriver, forcing them to utilize the port of Baton Rouge and keeping a monopoly on deepwater ship traffic in Louisiana.

While crossing the country in one of their incredible road trips, Jack Kerouac and Neal Cassidy pulled off and made a stop below the Old Bridge on the Port Allen side (West Bank) to relieve themselves, as related in Kerouac’s On the Road.

The stretch of river entering Baton Rouge hosts a high density of industrial docks for loading and unloading of various products. These structures can present a danger for paddlers and should be navigated with caution. In addition to the commercial traffic moving to and from these docks, the structures themselves can create treacherous waters and sometimes create shifting piles of debris held on their upriver face.

Paddlers should NOT paddle behind these structures as this may present a danger of getting pinned into an unpleasant situation amongst structures, barges, tow boats and the bank.

Additionally, docks and corresponding industries are unmarked and sometimes change ownership. Identifying the myriad of industries that utilize them can be difficult to keep up with. Be careful when identifying these structures by company name as it is best to depend on location and description for consistency. (LMRK)

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