Bay St. Louis Bridge

The Highway 90 bridge over St. Louis Bay carries the hard-won connection between Bay St. Louis and Pass Christian. When Hurricane Katrina came ashore in August 2005, it destroyed the previous bridge completely — slabs of concrete dropped into the bay. The replacement opened to traffic on May 17, 2007, built high enough that drivers crossing eastbound catch panoramic views of the bay spreading north and the Sound stretching south toward the Gulf. This is the third bridge to stand here. The first went up in 1928, part of the Old Spanish Trail highway system that opened the coast to automobile traffic. The bay has tested all three. The current span carries four lanes and a twelve-foot path on the Gulf side for pedestrians and bicyclists who want the water beneath them and the air moving across open water. The views run best driving eastbound at sunset, when the light comes low across the Sound and the span becomes the western gateway to Harrison County. Three bridges. The bay keeps asking the question. This one holds the answer for now.