In response to New Orleans’ growth in the 1940s and 1950s, the Louisiana Bridge Company constructed the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, completed in 1956 as a direct link across the lake. At nearly 24 miles, it earned the Guinness World Record for the longest bridge over water in 1969.

Over the years, peculiar incidents occurred on the causeway. The vast eight-mile stretch without sight of land has induced false fears in drivers. Babies have been born on the bridge, and even an airplane safely landed on it after running out of gas.

In 1969, a parallel bridge was added due to increasing traffic. The Guinness World Record title faced a challenge in 2011 from China’s Jiaozhou Bay Bridge. A controversy arose as Guinness’s measurement included non-continuous structures. Ultimately, new categories were created, making the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway the “longest bridge over water (continuous).”

Despite subsequent challengers, including the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, the causeway retains its record, standing as a continuous marvel over water for more than 60 years. Travelers should note tolls and a drawbridge at the 16.0-mile marker, adding to the causeway’s distinctive charm.