That's a mild experience compared with crossing the Mississippi a bit west and upriver of New Orleans via the Huey P. Long bridge. That old combo railroad/auto traffic bridge is probably overbuilt in some ways, but the narrow lanes and scary old vertical-bar guardrails really crank up the pucker factor.
I believe it's currently being modified to widen the lanes and add additional lanes, and it's about damned time. I just hope those engineers triple-checked their math.
I was on it once when a train went across. The whole thing bounced with each freight car. When one of the Railroads sent a huge steam engine to the NO worlds fair, they took everyone off the train before it went across. They weren't completely sure the whole thing wouldn't fall in.
The old bridge in Baton Rouge and the one in Natchez were about the same as the Huey Long.
Ah. The “Suicide Bridge.”
That’s the spookiest bridge I ever drove across.
Been over the Huey P. Long bridge many, many times on the Sunset Limited. That’s one scary span. View of the Mississippi is incredible — if you can get your eyes open.