Guide to Driving Across the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway

I’d read quite a bit about the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway ahead of our month-long visit to New Orleans, Louisiana. 

It has a few “big deal” accolades to its name as the longest bridge stretching continuously over water in the world. Guinness World Records confirms that fact.

It’s also described by many as QUITE scary.

I have a healthy respect for bridges, especially bridges crossing large bodies of water. I was a little anxious the morning of our day trip over the Causeway, as it’s known around here.

We survived to tell the tale, obviously. This guide gets into all you need to do to accomplish the same, plus our take on whether it’s really all that intimidating.

A History of the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway

The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway consists of two parallel bridges that run alongside one another. U-turns are available for those who freak out or find they’ve made a terrible mistake.

To access those turns, though, you need to wait for a police escort. You don’t want to be causing an accident or a Causeway jam on this bridge over water. 

The longer bridge of the twin bridges over Lake Pontchartrain is 23.83 miles long. That bridge length makes it the longest bridge over continuous water in the world.

To put things in perspective, the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge, or Bay Bridge, is just over eight miles long. The Jiaozhou Bay Bridge in China’s Shandong province is 16.6 miles long at its longest section.

Fun fact: China’s bridge is longer in aggregate if you put each piece together, but it’s not all continuous like the Causeway.

The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway was built to make it easier and more efficient to travel from New Orleans to the other side of the lake and back again. 

We’ve visited places on the other side of the lake, and it was so time-consuming to get across where bridge access was limited. I could only imagine crossing Lake Pontchartrain and getting from one shore to the other using just the roads available.

You’d spent all your time in the car, or on whatever they were driving or riding back in the day.

Fun fact: Lake Pontchartrain isn’t a lake at all. It’s actually an estuary that flows into the Gulf of Mexico. It’s also the second largest inland body of saltwater in the United States. The Great Salt Lake in northern Utah is the first.

How long does it take to drive across Lake Pontchartrain?

Expect it to take at least 25 minutes to drive all the way across the Causeway from one end to the other with light traffic.

Note: There is a drawbridge at the 16-mile point on the Causeway. If boats need to cross underneath, you’ll need to wait for that to happen, adding to your overall travel time.

The speed limit on the Causeway is 65 mph. In inclement weather, expect to drive as slow as 35 mph, often in a single lane.

That doesn’t mean every car around you will be driving the speed limit. In fact, speeding is a big problem on the bridge. 

There can be a toll to cross Lake Pontchartrain.

The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway is only a toll road for those traveling south into New Orleans. Tolls are collected in cash or with Causeway toll tags and priced based on the vehicle you’re in.

Note: For two axles, the toll is only $6. The tag fare for two axles is only $3.40. The cost isn’t a huge fee if you return to New Orleans heading south on the bridge.

We avoided the toll by driving over the Lake Pontchartrain bridge heading to the North Shore, or Mandeville side of the lake. We then navigated back to our accommodations the long way around on the return.

You don’t have to take the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway back to New Orleans if you don’t want to, but it really depends on where you’re staying. There are several shorter bridges you’ll see on your map apps that will get you there, too.

READ MORE: Planning a longer road trip in the region? Check out my two-week itinerary for the American South.

Is the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway scary?

Coming from someone who doesn’t love driving over the world’s longest bridges, the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway is NOT scary.

Full disclosure: I had Brian drive, but you don’t need someone with my feelings on bridges driving over this thing.

I really psyched myself up for this bridge, though. I read all about how you lose sight of land on both sides for multiple miles along the drive. Am I missing something? This didn’t happen.

I can picture it getting a little eerie on a day with heavy fog, but all I noticed on the sunny day we drove across were whimsical pelicans swooping around and one lonely sailboat.

There wasn’t a point where I couldn’t at the very least see a faint outline of a skyline on either side.

It’s also not very high above the water, firmly planted just 25 feet above Lake Pontchartrain.

This may induce fear if you’re afraid of water, but for someone with bridge anxiety, I took comfort in knowing the drop wouldn’t be that high if we found ourselves tumbling over.

I have intrusive thoughts sometimes, guys. It gets real around here.

Is the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway safe?

Driving across Lake Pontchartrain on the Causeway can be dangerous. If you’re not prepared, you can feel some anxiety over the sheer length of the bridge. This has caused some drivers in the past to freeze up, unable to continue to the other side to safety.

What happens next is a rescue mission by Causeway police. You’ll need to find one of those turnarounds I’ve already mentioned and wait for your escort to arrive.

Speeding is also an issue on the bridge. Ticketing has ratcheted up in recent years to crack down on speeding but also DWIs, the cause of a number of fatal accidents on the bridge.

Most accidents, however, are caused by vehicles breaking down. If you’re driving a clunker, the Causeway may not be in your future until you’re able to upgrade your vehicle.

To keep your trip down the Causeway safe and breezy, follow these simple rules:

• Focus. This isn’t the time to get distracted by those lovely birds and boats I mentioned. Leave the photographs to your passenger. If you’re driving solo, take a few mental images. Keep your hands on the wheel and drive.
• Follow the rules of the road. Maintain a consistent speed as much as you’re able. Don’t tailgate. Keep a safe following distance to avoid causing or being involved in an accident on the bridge. You don’t want to go over that railing.
• Use the crossovers if you need them. There are seven of them on each side in the case of roadway emergencies. It’s the safest way to get you out of traffic, and call boxes are available at each crossover for you to call for help.
• Monitor bridge closures. Accidents, weather, and construction can cause closures. Monitor safety updates and alerts available online before you head out to keep yourself safe and keep yourself from being disappointed once you get there.
• Reconsider your plans in inclement weather. It won’t be any fun to navigate the Causeway on a day with pouring rain. You won’t be able to see anything on either side, on top of the fact that it’s super dangerous.

Traveling from New Orleans on the Causeway

We made a day out of traveling over the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway. Part of that was that my anxiety dictated we only drive over the New Orleans bridge once. Even though I know it wasn’t that bad now, we wanted to make the most of our time on the other side.

If you’re traveling from New Orleans into the towns on the north side of the bridge, here are a few highlights just over the bridge and into Abita Springs. I’m sharing them with you in the order they appeared on our day trip:

• Fontainebleau State Park: This lovely park is just over the Causeway. We missed out on the Alligator Boardwalk as it was still being repaired following hurricane damage. The 1.6-mile Fontainebleau Nature Trail was the backup.
• LOLA Restaurant: This eatery in Covington is the perfect place for a delicious lunch on the other side of the Causeway. I can vouch for their pimento and ham sandwich and spicy gumbo but have heard that the cafe is known for its chicken salad.
• Abita Mystery House: I’m not sure how to describe the Abita Mystery House just east of Covington. It’s a collection of collections, I guess? Once inside, you’ll have all kinds of buttons to push to make clowns dance and animate New Orleans scenes.
• Abita Brewing Company: This is a great stop after the Abita Mystery House if only to discuss what the heck just happened over some delicious tasters of beer. They have a nice setup, too, with lots of outdoor space for sunny days.

READ MORE: Need more New Orleans day trip ideas? We really liked Baton Rouge!

You should drive across Lake Pontchartrain.

I’m so glad that I faced my fears and made the drive over the Causeway bridge. I mean, it was a lot easier to have Brian behind the wheel, but now that I’ve done it, I think I could handle it on my own.

OK, my palms are a little sweaty just thinking about it. Don’t let that dissuade you from planning your drive across the Causeway!