Calcasieu River Bridge

The Calcasieu River Bridge — officially the Louisiana Memorial World War II Bridge — is a riveted Warren through truss with cantilever spans carrying Interstate 10 across the Calcasieu River between Lake Charles and Westlake, Louisiana. Opened in 1952 under Governor Earl K. Long and named in June 1951 to honor Louisiana's World War II fallen, it served as the only major river crossing in the area until the I-210 High Bridge was completed in 1962. A distinctive detail: decorative ironwork featuring crossed guns is integrated into the bridge railings, a subtle nod to its memorial status. Today it carries heavy interstate traffic alongside newer crossings, functioning as a quiet piece of postwar American infrastructure history.