Skip to main content

Pointe à la Hache Ferry (Pointe à la Hache, LA)

Image
By

 

Near the mouth of the Mississippi River, the village of Pointe à la Hache (pronounced like “Point la Hatch”) is the southernmost permanent community on the east bank of the Mississippi River, located about 50 miles upriver from the Head of Passes Light, the official mouth of the river at the end of the delta. This community, which has been the parish seat of Plaquemines Parish since the parish’s establishment in 1807, has a population of less than 200, yet is also home to the southernmost public vehicle crossing on the river. This ferry service has operated commercially in this location since 1933 and like its neighboring ferries upriver, this crossing requires the payment of a toll and ferries depart from each landing every 30 minutes on most days.

The eastern ferry landing leads to the southern reaches of LA Highway 39, which follows the east bank of the river northward toward St. Bernard Parish and greater New Orleans. The western ferry landing leads to LA Highway 23 (sometimes known as Belle Chasse Highway), which follows the west bank of the river northward toward greater New Orleans and southward toward Venice and the mouth of the Mississippi River. Due to its isolated location over an hour’s drive downriver from greater New Orleans, this is the lightest-trafficked of the ferry services on the Mississippi River in Louisiana. The population of Plaquemines Parish on the east bank of the river was reduced to a hardy few following the devastation brought to the area by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. As a result of the lack of population on that side of the river since then, traffic counts on this ferry crossing have been drastically lower over the last 20 years than in the years leading up to 2005.

Since 2013, the ferry has been closed to heavier commercial vehicles, meaning that any such traffic must utilize the ferries closer to the city or even divert to the Crescent City Connection. All in all and in spite of the lack of vehicle traffic, this is a quintessentially Louisianan experience for folks who enjoy an old-fashioned, isolated transportation experience near the mouth of one of America’s great rivers.

The following pictures were taken during my westbound crossing of the Pointe à la Hache Ferry in January 2017. Click on each photo to see a larger version.



The following pictures were taken during my eastbound crossing of the Pointe à la Hache Ferry in January 2017. Click on each photo to see a larger version.

Dashcam video of the eastbound trip over the Pointe à la Hache Ferry was filmed in January 2017 for the 'roadwaywiz' YouTube channel and is available for viewing at the link below:


Dashcam video of the westbound trip over the Pointe à la Hache Ferry was filmed in January 2017 for the 'roadwaywiz' YouTube channel and is available for viewing at the link below:

How To Get There:

Bridges, Crossings, and Structures of the Lower Mississippi River
Next Crossing upriver: Belle Chasse-Scarsdale Ferry (Belle Chasse, LA)
Next Crossing downriver: Mouth of the Mississippi River
Return to the Bridges of the Lower Mississippi River Home Page
__________________________________________________

Labels

Labels:
Location: Pointe à la Hache, LA 70082, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Former US Route 50 and the Pioneer Route Lincoln Highway on Johnson's Pass Road

By
Johnson's Pass Road is one of the oldest highway corridors in California.  Johnson's Pass was part of the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road as it was completed during 1856 over the Sierra Nevada.  The pass would later be incorporated into the Pioneer Branch of the Lincoln Highway in 1913 and US Route 50 in 1926.  Johnson's Pass Road would be bypassed by a new alignment of US Route 50 over Echo Summit in 1938.  A replacement of the Meyers Grade east of Johnson's Pass would be opened to traffic in 1947.   Johnson's Pass Road remains accessible to traffic and is still signed by the Lincoln Highway Association.  Pictured as the blog cover is the view from the top of Johnson's Pass Road overlooking modern US Route 50 and Lake Tahoe.   Part 1; the history of Johnson's Pass Much of the history of what become the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road is discussed in the  September 1950 California Highways & Public Works  during its Centennial Edition.  The or...
Post a Comment
Read more

Former US Route 50 and the South Lincoln Highway from Folsom east to Placerville

By
The corridor of Folsom of Sacramento County east to Placerville of El Dorado County has been a long established corridor of overland travel dating back to the California Gold Rush.  The Folsom-Placerville corridor was once part of the path of the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road which became the first California State Highway and later the South Lincoln Highway.  In time the South Lincoln Highway's surface alignment was inherited by US Route 50.  The Folsom-Placerville corridor also includes the communities of; Clarksville, Shingle Springs and El Dorado. Part 1; the history of the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road, South Lincoln Highway and US Route 50 through Folsom-Placerville Folsom is located on the American River/Lake Natoma of eastern Sacramento County.  That lands now occupied by the City of Folsom were part of Rancho Rio de los Americanos prior to the finding of gold at Sutter's Mill during 1848.  During the California Gold Rush the lands of Rancho Rio de los Americanos were p...
Post a Comment
Read more

Old NC 10 - The Central Highway: Old Fort to Black Mountain through the Royal Gorge

By
A unique way of tracing the remnants of the Central Highway is through the mountainous terrain of Eastern Buncombe and Western McDowell Counties.  From the east on US 70, you reach the base of Blue Ridge Mountains at the town of Old Fort.  Old Fort is a tiny rail town that the old Central Highway and now US 70 goes through.  The Central Highway can be followed via a right onto Mill Creek Road from US 70.  Follow the highway as it takes you closer to the mountains.  When Mill Creek Road bears right to head towards Andrews Geyser stay straight until the road ends at a gate.  The nearby Piney Grove Church can be used for parking.  At this point, the old Central Highway began a 3.5 mile climb of the mountain to Swannanoa Gap.  NC 10 and later US 70 travelers followed this road for over 30 years until a new and modern four lane US 70 was built to the south.  This same four lane road would eventually become Interstate 40.    The Centra...
Post a Comment
Read more