When the state decided after Hurricane Katrina to replace the battered Interstate 10 twin span bridges with a more hurricane-resistant version, area anglers quickly pushed state and local government to convert sections of structures into a fishing pier.
After all, there were speckled trout and redfish just waiting to be pulled from Lake Pontchartrain’s brackish waters.
The lake’s rise during Hurricane Katrina in 2005 destroyed huge sections of the old twin spans, which stood 10 feet above surface for more than five miles. The new $803 million twin span bridges, which are 30 feet over the lake, opened in 2011 and carry thousands of vehicles a day across the lake’s eastern edge between Orleans and St. Tammany parishes.
A 650-foot boardwalk section of fishing pier was opened in 2012 and quickly became a hit. Sometime this spring, that will be linked to 2,500 feet of additional fishing space that will open on a remnant of the old westbound twin span, St. Tammany Parish officials say.
“This investment in the expansion of the pier is something patrons have been anticipating for some time,” St. Tammany Parish President Mike Cooper said in a recent news release.
The $1.3 million expansion, which will include shaded areas, benches, portable bathrooms, lights and fish-cleaning stations, is expected to open in late April or early May. The pier’s typical March 1 springtime opening has been delayed until the work is completed, the parish said.
Steele-R Development, LLC, is handling the work. The lion’s share of funding for it, nearly $1 million, is from a grant through the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, the parish said.
A parish spokesperson, Amy Bouton, said numbers aren’t tracked, but that dozens of anglers fish from the pier each day during peak fishing periods.
“We appreciate everyone’s patience as we work to finish this project and prepare to welcome citizens back to the Pier in the coming months.”
The pier is free but a state fishing license is also required. Go to sttammanyfishingpier.com for more.
Editor's note: An earlier version of this story reported that there is a fee to access the pier. There is no fee.
