Money & Career - Economic Update
Seeking a Bridge to our FUTURE
by Kristy Como Armand
Dwight Eisenhower was elected President while the Korean conflict waged on. Singin’ in the Rain dominated the big screen and I Love Lucy was the top-rated television series. The average annual wage was $3,400, the cost of a home was $9,050, the price of a new car was $1,700 and a gallon of gas was 20 cents. It was 1952, and the new I-10 Calcasieu River Bridge, constructed under the administration of Governor Earl K. Long, opened for traffic. At the time, it was the only major bridge in Lake Charles. Known for its decorative iron work with crossed guns integrated into the railings, the bridge was originally built as the U.S. Hwy 90 bridge and was later grandfathered into Interstate 10. This bridge was never intended to be an interstate bridge, and when the federal government took it over, they promised to replace the bridge at a later date. Fast forward 67 years, and Southwest Louisiana is still waiting for that promise to be fulfilled.
The current I-10 Calcasieu River Bridge, shortly after its opening in 1952.
Source: Glyn Farber
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Thrive Magazine for Better Living • March 2019