This bridge has proven to be a real challenge to photograph. This river crossing is cut through a swampy area, and as of this time, I have not found any roads that provide access to the side or bottom of the bridge. On my first visit, the only photos that I was able to get were from the traffic lanes by shooting through the windshield.
On my second visit, I had a topographical map. I did find some potential access roads, but they were all running through swamps or were chained off to prevent vehicle traffic. On my third visit, I had aerial photography, which allowed me to get within a mile of the bridge. But that mile was behind a line of trees, so I only saw the very top of the bridge.
I later learned that the levees are opened for vehicle traffic during hunting season. In late 2005, I drove the levees on the west side of the river, and found one location several miles from the bridge where I could see the profile of the structure. That is the bottom photo, taken with a long telephoto. In early 2006, I drove the levees on the east side of the river, but I discovered that they were all at least a mile from the river, which put trees in the way.
In reviewing the maps, I found one location that looked like it was close to the water, and where there would be a clear view of the bridge looking down the river. I went back in late 2006, found that location on the east levee, and indeed, most of the bridge is visible in profile. The result is the top photo.
The photo above is a view from late 2006 from the levee on the east side of the Mississippi River. This is the best view of the bridge that I have found so far without actually traveling on the bridge. The photo below is an early 2005 view from the farming area to the northwest of the bridge. There is no closer public access. The best view includes only the top of the bridge truss. It is interesting to compare the shape of the truss in these two photos. It looks very round in the photo below, but looks very elongated in the photo above.
