I-10 Highrise Bridge

Oh I’m so happy to be able to review a bridge that I rarely have to cross but friends of mine have to deal with often along with all the traffic issue associate with this mammoth structure LOL. No I don’t wish any bad on anyone having to face this monster daily and actually I’m kinda jealous that they more often than not get a chance to get an extended view from the top.
Built in 1966 the «Highrise» provides six lanes of traffic across the Industrial Canal in eastern New Orlean. You’d be wise to check the traffic reports if this is part of your route during high traffic hours or you may get a little of what the natives get on a regular basis, which over time has created the love hate relationship, I guess the saying «I never get tired of this view» doesn’t apply here if you’re a local. If you do find yourself needing to cross over and fear getting stuck on the «Highrise» there are a total of eight bridges that cross the Industrial Canal at last count but rumor has it the Almonaster Avenue Bridge stays in the up position most of the time so you may want to check before choosing that option.

Another day, another ride across the highrise.
I don’t know if this review should be for the bridge… or the folks who cross it everyday… day in and day out!
Let me help you with something… your car isn’t going to fall to its death when you cross the other side! I promise! Stop holding up traffic! I’m already late for work as is!
Sincerely,
A Concerned Road-​Raged Citizen

The common complaint about this bridge among the reviewers is the fact that drivers generally reach the top and don’t know what to do next. I wonder if they are really shocked that the road continues, or if they are lemmings, chugging along and falling off the cliffs edge once they get to the top, smashing the brakes because at the last minute they decide they don’t want to die, not realizing it is a bridge, on a maintained and well traveled highway and will indeed continue. The dream of being a lemming in the circle of life is not valid.
But there goes my imagination running off again. If you happen to be on the side that the traffic is slow on, and the other side is traveling normally, you can feel the bridge move up and down with the weight. If you are unable to maintain a safe traveling speed, please use the right lane, or don’t use the high rise at all. However, unless you are going to risk life and limb, beware of the fast lane, as the speeders will tailgate until you move.
Yes, the views at the top are beautiful. Just remember where you are and keep moving along.
Be safe, be careful, fly low.

I don’t complain often but when I do it’s for a good reason like every time I cross the I-​10 high rise. As far as I can recall back 20 years or so this bridge has had its share of finder binders to fatalities. It can be a parking lot during rush hour and may be beneficial to take the scenic routes instead.
As many others would agree the view is majestic! Also if you enjoy that fresh coffee smell, take note that the Folger’s coffee plant is nearby and you can smell the aroma for miles.

Tallest man-​made spot in Louisiana! Who knew??? But you’d better step on the gas pedal going up that bridge or else you may just slide back down. ;-)

I am curious how many times I have crossed this bridge in my lifetime? Maybe 2000 times or more, so I think my review is legit. This bridge could possibly be the worst traffic jam area in New Orleans especially during rush hour traffic. Traffic will flow okay until you get here!
But on a positive note, the view of the city is awesome from this point especially at night time.
Just have some patience while traveling through here and don’t get road rage it’ll only make matters worse.

The high rise is highly iconic of the connection of New Orleans east to the rest of the city’. I know it’s older than me, but this used to be an exciting point of embarking for the city when I was a kid, but as of late, it’s what nightmares are made of.
In fact, I’ve had actual nightmares about driving over this bridge. I would always dream that as I made it to the arch, the bridge would begin to collapse underneath me and I’m plummeting to the channel below.
Now I know that’s just all dreams, but the rating here comes less from the construct or operation of the bridge, but rather a grade for how drivers handle it. It’s like some force of nature that everyday, during the week, the high rise just HAS to have an unexplicable amount of traffic for no apparent reason at all. It seems to be packed with dufuses, and lots of people who have nowhere to go and all decide to ‘go for a little ride’ all at the same time.
It truly makes me wish I had a flying car.

This bridge is the stuff of nightmares.
Any vital thoroughfare which requires practice and yet hosts a large number of drivers who have little or no experience negotiating it needs some kind of federal intervention (signs, lower speed limits, off ramps that don’t resemble roller coasters, etc), and yet this stretch of the I-​10 is a lawless zone populated by apparently terrified people going as fast as they can to get the whole thing over with as quickly as possible. And you know how that ends. I’ve had to drive this TWICE in an empty UHAUL, and it’s a «never again» experience.

The bridge itself is ok. I do wish they would have left the old bridge partly up and turned it into a fishing spot, but the new bridge is much easier to traverse. Of course that means that people think it’s a speedway and you can clock them going 90 – 100.
Not sure if it’s patrolled as I’ve never seen a police car there.
But I did see/​feel a tractor-​trailer zoom by so fast it pulled at my truck enough that I had to floor it and turn away to avoid being sucked under.
It’s why we can’t have nice things.
People.
What a bunch of bastards.

So here’s my big tip about the high rise, do not try to cross over on a low tank of gas. People will hate you when your car breaks down and traffic gets gacked up for miles.
Angie is correct; the few from the top is pretty but only gaze at length if you’re a passenger. If you’re the driver then keep your eyes on the road. Seriously why are there so many accidents?
As an occasional passerby, I find the bridge perfectly acceptable. If I drove this everyday I would need a rocket launcher.

This bridge is subject to stupid drivers. It’s not the bridge’s fault, it’s got to rise steeply to go over the Industrial Canal so tall things can go underneath. It has a great view of the city on the way in and great view of the East on the way out. The bridge has three lanes. The problem here, and why the bridge gets a bad rap, are the stupid drivers. You know, if you don’t think your car can make it up the steepest bridge in the city, do us all a favor and use Danzinger. Did you know people actually seem to fear the other side of a bridge? That’s true here, they’ll get to the top and slow down as if the other side is not there and they’ll fall unabated down to the ground. I used to commute daily over the bridge, and this would be the single biggest point of failure. Even early in the morning in very light traffic, the same problems come up. Be prepared to wait on a weekday afternoon because its not a matter of if something happens, it’s when, and will I have to go out by the Lake and take the Seabrook.

The Highrise Bridge is one of the worst traffic hotspots in the city. When listening to the traffic report on local media, this location seems to always have something bad going on.
I think part of the problem is the height of the bridge. My guess is that the thin air at the peak of the bridge robs the drivers brains of oxygen causing brief moments of unconsciousness. During these unconscious moments, drivers either accelerate rapidly or remove their foot from the gas pedal entirely. You can imagine the chaos that ensues when hat happens.
I think the other part of the problem is New Orleans drivers are easily distracted. When you get to the top of the Highrise you can see all sorts of cool stuff. The Nola skyline, other bridges, the old Big Lots warehouse, train tracks, plus lots more. Once distracted by the view, people have the tendency to smash into those drivers suffering the loss of consciousness.
The only advice I can give someone traveling this bridge is to set you cruise, focus on the road, and watch out for unconscious drivers.
Good luck!

Coming into Nola from Slidell this bridge is a necessary evil. I don’t dislike this bridge at all, in fact I think the view of New Orleans from the top is really pretty.
The problem is that it’s very steep and for that reason people seem to forget WTF to do once they get to the top. So they all brake hard and stop. Because that makes sense, right?! That causes many accidents and I’ve seen several of them. One happened right in front of me not too long ago. It also means traffic is backed up on the bridge often.
Once the descent down starts, people usually remember to start driving like they are actually licensed drivers and not, in fact, morons. Most of them, anyway.
It’s ok people. You’re not going to fall off. Just drive at a steady pace so we can all get to where we are going. I’ve got a date with the Fleurty Girl store. Move it!

For the life of me, I just don’t understand WHY O WHY theres ALWAYS traffic on this portion of the interstate system!!! Especially when the same people travel here day in & day out.
I’ve been told its too high & it is known to vibrate at the very top; I’ve been told the architecture was poor, its too steep & people are fearful of what’s on the other side. Idk. But seems like if either of these things were true, those people who feel this way should, IDK, maybe AVOID IT!!! Lol.
This is a main thoroughfare from Slidell to New Orleans & IMHO it should flow a little better. Its always the same areas that get jammed up.
I will admit, while at the top, theres a very picturesque view of the city, I hope that wasn’t the intent when it was constructed. Not the easiest (or safest) place to necessarily take a picture.
See ya at the top!!!