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53-443: "Oakwood Mall" opened in 1966, taking advantage of the increased development on the West Bank following the opening of the Crescent City Connection . One of the former anchor stores was D. H. Holmes . It was replaced by a Dillard's store in 1992, and then by Marshalls . Oakwood Center fell victim to significant damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina . The mall was heavily looted and set on fire on August 31, 2005. Nearly 80% of

106-497: A 2013 vote removed the tolls, and the crossing is now overseen by the Louisiana Department of Public Safety. This separate state police agency used elsewhere in the state, is required because of the high traffic volume and the fact that the two spans briefly cross into Jefferson Parish and the city of Gretna, Louisiana. Since renaming of the twin bridges, some local residents refer to the bridge as "The GNO", in spite of

159-492: A Category Three storm, hit the area in 1965, causing extensive wind damage and moderate flooding. In 1995 the May 8th 1995 Louisiana flood , which dumped upwards of 20 inches (510 mm) of rain into Metairie in a twelve-hour period, also flooded some parts of the region, especially areas south and west of Metairie, including Kenner, Harahan , and River Ridge. In 1989, a Metairie district elected white supremacist David Duke to

212-671: A plan to close 104 stores nationwide. The store closed in March 2017. Crescent City Connection The Crescent City Connection ( CCC ), formerly the Greater New Orleans (GNO) Bridge , is a pair of cantilever bridges that carry U.S. Highway 90 Business (US 90 Bus.) over the Mississippi River in New Orleans , Louisiana , United States . They are tied as the fifth-longest cantilever bridges in

265-496: A rate of $ 0.20 per axle for toll tag users, and $ 0.50 per axle for cash users. Prior to Hurricane Katrina, annual toll collections averaged $ 20 million. There have been investigations conducted by the Louisiana Office of Legislative Auditor regarding bridge employees pocketing toll revenue for their own use and supervisors falsifying reports to hide the theft. There were citizen action groups who were actively opposing

318-566: A section of Metairie known as "Fat City", which is now the most racially diverse area in the New Orleans metropolitan area and is home to a vibrant restaurant scene. Several New Orleans radio and television stations have transmitter facilities in Metairie and Jefferson Parish; two of them, WGNO-TV and WNOL , now have studios and main offices in Metairie. Metairie has a large Mardi Gras season that touts itself as more family-friendly than

371-664: A shortage of toll collectors and electronic toll tags, combined with heavy usage of the bridge due to the many New Orleanians staying with friends and relatives on the Westbank while they worked on gutting and repairing their flooded Eastbank homes. In addition to the CCC's designation as Business US 90, the bridge, along with its approach roads, the Pontchartrain Expressway and Westbank Expressway were proposed to also serve as Interstate 910 . This proposed designation

424-578: A small road along the Mississippi River levee, was initially blocked by debris but was cleared by local volunteer work). Two days after the storm passed, the Gretna police set up a controversial roadblock on the bridge, refusing passage to evacuees on foot. In the initial weeks following the storm, only emergency personnel and contractors were permitted to use the bridge. The bridge reopened to traffic in mid-September as decreasing water levels on

477-656: A toll of 35 cents for cars and light trucks, and higher tolls for heavier vehicles. The toll was reduced to 30 cents on July 1, 1962. While running for governor John McKeithen published a campaign promise to remove the toll if he were elected,. After he was elected the toll was removed on May 16, 1964. Tolls were again collected on the Crescent City Connection as defined in Louisiana state law R.S. 47:820.5(B). This law said that from October 1, 1994, through December 31, 2012, tolls were to be collected at

530-482: A truck loaded with chickens explodes. The spans also served as the anchor for the background in most of the outdoor scenes in the film A Love Song for Bobby Long . The spans have been used as a filming location for episodes of NCIS: New Orleans . The spans appeared on the finale of The Amazing Race 32 as the site of a task where contestants had to jump off one of the beams. Metairie, Louisiana Metairie ( / ˈ m ɛ t ər i / MET -ər-ee )

583-467: Is 62.5 in (1,590 mm) annually; the summer months are the wettest, while October is the driest month. Precipitation in winter usually accompanies the passing of a cold front. On average, there are 77 days of 90 °F (32 °C) or greater highs, 8.1 days per winter where the high does not exceed 50 °F (10 °C), and 8.0 nights with freezing lows annually. It is rare for the temperature to reach 20 or 100 °F (−6.7 or 37.8 °C), with

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636-519: Is a principal community in Greater New Orleans . According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the Metairie CDP has a total area of 23.2 square miles (60.2 km ), of which 23.2 square miles (60.1 km ) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km ), or 0.18%, is water. The climate of Metairie has been classified as humid subtropical . Like the city of New Orleans, it has short, generally mild winters and hot, humid summers. The average precipitation

689-711: Is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana , United States, and is part of the New Orleans metropolitan area . With a population of 143,507 in 2020, Metairie is the largest community in Jefferson Parish and was (as of 2010) the fifth-largest CDP in the United States. It is an unincorporated area that (as of 2020) would have been Louisiana's fourth-largest city behind Shreveport if incorporated. Métairie ( French: [metɛʁi] )

742-620: Is available as well. On March 5, 2013, toll collection was nullified on the Crescent City Connection due to 19th Judicial District Judge William Morvant's decision to nullify the November 2012 toll vote. A new referendum held on May 4, 2013, defeated the toll extension and officially ended tolls on the Crescent City Connection. The referendum was defeated by 78% of voters in Orleans, Jefferson and Plaquemines Parishes. The Crescent City Connection introduced toll tags on January 4, 1989, becoming

795-429: Is called Metairie Road. An electric streetcar was installed running along Metairie Road in the late 1910s, opening the area to greater development. Upscale housing tracts were constructed off the road in the 1920s; this area is now known as "Old Metairie". The areas to the north and northwest of Metairie Road were not developed until after World War II . The land between Metairie Ridge and Lake Pontchartrain , which

848-632: Is part of U.S. Route 61 ) and Jefferson Highway (which is part of U.S. Route 90 ). The Earhart Expressway , running east–west immediately south of Airline Drive, is the only other freeway entering New Orleans from the west, but it ends as an expressway soon after crossing into Orleans Parish and well before the New Orleans CBD (in Central City.) For many of the major east–west roadways, the eastbound and westbound lanes are separated by large, open-topped drainage canals. These canals are one of

901-596: Is the French term for a small tenant farm which paid the landlord with a share of the produce, a practice also known as sharecropping (in French, métayage ). In the 1760s many of the original French farmers were tenants; after the Civil War , the majority of the community's inhabitants were sharecroppers until urbanization started in the 1910s. In the 1720s French settlers became the first Europeans to settle Metairie in

954-481: Is the automobile. Mass transit is provided by "JeT" ( Jefferson Transit ), but it does not run on Sundays, holidays, or late at night, unlike many lines of New Orleans' RTA. JeT's coverage is also very limited in terms of usability. Interstate 10 runs east–west through Metairie. Major east–west roads (starting from north to south) include West Esplanade Avenue, Veterans Memorial Boulevard , West Napoleon Avenue, West Metairie Avenue, Metairie Road, Airline Drive (which

1007-709: The Crescent City Connection Division (CCCD), began construction of the first span in November 1954, which opened on April 15, 1958, as the Greater New Orleans Bridge. At its opening, the bridge was the longest cantilever bridge in the world, although in terms of main span length it was third, after the Forth Bridge and the Quebec Bridge . It carried two lanes of traffic in each direction and spurred growth in

1060-793: The Jefferson Barracks Bridge , and the Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge . What later became known as the Crescent City Connection is the second bridge to span the Mississippi south of Baton Rouge , the first being the Huey P. Long Bridge , a few miles upriver from the city, and is the first bridge across the river in Orleans Parish, coterminous with the city of New Orleans. The Mississippi River Bridge Authority, known since 1989 as

1113-761: The Jefferson Parish Public School System . There is one zoned public high school in Metairie: East Jefferson High School . Additionally, many residents are zoned to Alfred Bonnabel High School in Kenner and Riverdale High School in Jefferson . Previously, some residents were zoned to Grace King High School in Metairie. King closed in 2023. Magnet public school Private schools The most common method of transportation within Metairie

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1166-562: The New Orleans Mardi Gras . Metairie is located in eastern Jefferson Parish and is bordered by New Orleans to the east, Kenner to the west, Lake Pontchartrain to the north, and the Illinois Central Railroad tracks to the south. South of the railroad are River Ridge , Harahan, Elmwood , and Jefferson . The 17th Street Canal forms the border between Metairie and New Orleans to the east. It

1219-595: The Pacific Coast League from 1993 to 2019. The minor league club played its home games at Privateer Park , home to the University of New Orleans 's NCAA baseball team, from 1992 through 1996, and at Shrine on Airline from 1997 to 2019. The training facilities of NFL franchise New Orleans Saints and the NBA franchise New Orleans Pelicans are located in Metairie. As such, many players reside in

1272-588: The west bound span carries Business US 90 East . The Crescent City Connection was the fifth most traveled toll bridge in the United States in 2006, with annual traffic exceeding 63 million vehicles. The bridge is the centerpiece of the Crescent Connection Road Race (CCRR) or Bridge Race as it is locally known, an annual event held on the first Saturday in September following Labor Day. The bridge remains open to vehicular traffic during

1325-1190: The Big East Twin Spans, The Pelican Bridge, the Fleur-de-Lis, the Greater Mississippi River Bridge, the Unity Bridge, the Mississippi River Twins, The Friendship Connection, The Pelican Pride, the Riverview Bridge, the Creole Crossing, the Jazz Gate Bridge, the Greater New Orleans Twin Bridges, and the Crescent Bend Bridge. Following this contest, the Louisiana Legislature officially designated

1378-614: The CDP. As of 2019, population density was 5,607.7 people per square mile, with a median age of 40.6. At the 2019 American Community Survey, the racial and ethnic makeup was 69% non-Hispanic white , 10% Black and African American , 4% Asian , 1% multiracial, and 16% Hispanic and Latino American . According to 2017 census estimates, the racial makeup of Metairie was 67.5% White, 16.2% Hispanic or Latino American of any race, 9.9% Black and African American, 3.9% Asian, 0.7% from other races , 0.9% from two or more races, and 0.1% Native American . By

1431-514: The East Bank of Orleans Parish allowed Interstate 10 to reopen and residents to return, but then was temporarily closed to regular traffic again when another evacuation was declared due to Hurricane Rita , with the bridge again reopening in late September. Toll collection resumed on October 10 after a six-week suspension, as the revenue was needed to maintain operations. Long lines at the toll booth lanes during non-rush times became common, due to

1484-445: The Louisiana state legislature for a single term. On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina caused a new migration from Orleans Parish, because housing was needed to replace what had been destroyed in the flooding of the city. It has been a racially neutral migration, with equal numbers of black and white residents moving to Jefferson Parish. The 2010 census showed that Metairie has increasingly become more diverse. Veterans Boulevard

1537-549: The Marshalls. In 2013, it was confirmed that the Mervyn's wing would be torn down for Dick's Sporting Goods . After renovations, the center includes three sit-down restaurants; over 360,000 square feet (33,000 m) of floor space boasting over 80 specialty shops (regional and national retailers); and a 20,000-square-foot (1,900 m) food pavilion. On January 5, 2017, it was announced that Sears would be closing as part of

1590-412: The area known then as Tchoupitoulas and now as Metairie Ridge, a natural levee formed by an ancient branch of the Mississippi River, Bayou Metairie , which flowed through modern-day River Ridge , Metairie, Gentilly , and New Orleans East . It emptied into Mississippi Sound . The Acolapissa Native Americans used this ridge as a road; it is the oldest road in the New Orleans area. Paved in the 1920s, it

1643-731: The area. Boxing cards have been held in the Copeland Tower Suites (formerly Landmark Hotel). Beginning in 2020, the New Orleans Gold of Major League Rugby play their homes games in Metairie at the Gold Mine on Airline . Jefferson Parish has created many parks in Metairie. Many of these playgrounds have organized sports leagues such as football, baseball, and basketball . Some of them also have other programs, such as low-cost piano lessons. The parks in Metairie are: Metairie's public schools are operated by

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1696-453: The bridges as the Crescent City Connection. (The bridge is commonly known among local Vietnamese Americans as Cầu Con Cò , the "Pelican Bridge", due to blue signs at either end that feature a pelican from the state flag . ) Beginning in 1989, it was maintained and policed as a toll bridge by the CCCD, a special division of the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, although

1749-486: The city's skyline, the spans have been a favorite of movie production crews. The HOV lanes are frequently used for filming , as they are not heavily used and are separated from normal traffic by barrier walls. Both spans were briefly closed on April 9, 2006, to allow filming with stunts and pyrotechnics for the Denzel Washington film Déjà Vu . The HOV lanes were used to film a scene in 21 Jump Street when

1802-463: The community claimed affiliation with Judaism . Metairie is home to Congregation Gates of Prayer, a Reform synagogue, and beside it is Congregation Beth Israel , the oldest Orthodox congregation in the New Orleans metro area. Beth Israel constructed its new building in Metairie in 2012, several years after its building in Lakeview, New Orleans was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina . Metarie has

1855-461: The community, and 92% were occupied; 59% of housing units were owner-occupied, and 64% of housing units were single unit structures. The median value of owner-occupied housing units was $ 246,600, and the median household income was $ 60,404. Residents had a per capita income of $ 35,007 at the 2019 American Community Survey. In Metairie, 54.1% of residents identified with some religion as of 2019. Due to Spanish and French colonial influence, Metairie and

1908-413: The first toll facility in the United States to use electronic toll collection . The system was originally designed and installed by TransCore , who managed the system until tolls were ended in 2013. However, in the first quarter of 2005, the CCCD awarded a contract to Electronic Transaction Consultants (ETC) Corporation to design, develop and implement a replacement toll collection system. The "GeauxPass"

1961-776: The headquarters of Rawbar Inc., which operates Acme Oyster House , a restaurant chain. Jefferson Parish Library operates public libraries. The East Bank Regional Library, which houses the library system's headquarters, is in Metairie. Other public libraries in Metairie include the Lakeshore Library, the Old Metairie Library, and the Wagner Library. Metairie was home to the New Orleans Baby Cakes Triple-A Minor League Baseball team of

2014-399: The last occurrence of each being February 5, 1996, and June 26, 2016, respectively. Three Lakeway Center stands at 403 ft (123 m). According to the 2019 American Community Survey , there were 130,427 people living in the census-designated place. At the 2010 United States census , there were 138,481 people living in Metairie. The 2020 census reported 143,507 people living in

2067-418: The name change from decades past. Most people refer to it as the "CCC", whereas the proper name of "Crescent City Connection" is used mainly in the media. Due to the Mississippi River's winding course through the New Orleans area (the river is flowing north at the place where the two bridges cross), the bridge contains two wrong-way concurrencies , with the east bound span carrying Business US 90 West , while

2120-459: The new span was opened, the old span was temporarily closed in phases to replace the asphalt-on-steel deck with concrete. All the exits and entrances to the bridge were replaced as well. After the completion of the second span, a public contest was held in 1989 to rename the bridges, which was won by Jennifer Grodsky, of St. Clement of Rome School in Metairie , Louisiana , on March 17. The name

2173-420: The older span, but no other damage occurred to either bridge. After the storm hit on August 29, 2005, much of the east bank of New Orleans flooded severely (see Effects of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans ). With all other major and minor highways out of town flooded in both directions, the CCC was the only open highway into or out of the east bank of Orleans Parish . (One other route, Leake Avenue/Old River Road,

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2226-536: The race, which only uses the two HOV lanes. The CCRR was originally started as a fundraiser for the bridge's decorative lights. These lights line the top profile lines of both bridges; 64 lights along each string for a total 256 lights. As Hurricane Katrina approached the city in August 2005, the CCCD halted toll collections on August 26 to aid in speed of evacuation of the Metro area. Two overhead signs were blown down on

2279-514: The stores experienced fire or water damage. The main shopping area was closed during demolition and construction. Two department stores, Sears and Dillard's, along with Dollar Tree , Foot Locker , and the Bank of Louisiana reopened before the entire mall reopened. Oakwood Center completely reopened on October 19, 2007, except for the Mervyns wing. Forever 21 and Shoe Department Encore replaced

2332-635: The suburban area known as the West Bank (named for its location on the western bank of the river although it is geographically southeast of New Orleans). Construction of the second span began in March 1981. Despite promises that it would be ready for the 1984 Louisiana World Exposition , it did not open to traffic until September 1988. The second span was originally designated as the Greater New Orleans Bridge No. 2. Both bridges were designed by Modjeski & Masters, Inc. As soon as

2385-762: The surrounding area have an overwhelmingly Catholic populace. Approximately 34.6% identify with the Catholic Church , served by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans ; 5.9% were Baptist , 3.1% Pentecostal , 1.4% Methodist , 0.6% Lutheran , 0.6% Latter-Day Saints , 0.5% Anglican , and 0.5% from another Christian group including the Metropolitan Community Church among others. Approximately 0.7% were Muslims and 0.4% identified with an Eastern religion such as Hinduism , Buddhism , or Sikhism ; 0.6% of

2438-619: The time of the 2020 census, its racial and ethnic makeup was 62.89% non-Hispanic white, 10.98% Black or African American, 0.49% Native American, 3.73% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 18.20% two or more races, and 18.42% Hispanic or Latino American of any race. Among the population of Metairie, 52% were female in 2019. There were 56,421 households with an average of 2.63 persons per household. An estimated 52% of households were married couples living together, 23% non-family, 18% female householder with no male present, and 7% male householder with no female present. Approximately 61,354 housing units were in

2491-430: The tolls and their potential renewal in 2012. The Times-Picayune newspaper wrote an editorial recommending that the tolls not be renewed at the end of 2012. The Bureau of Governmental Research, an independent watchdog group in New Orleans, released a detailed financial study on the CCC tolls which showed that the majority of the toll money collected in tolls does not benefit those who pay the tolls. The full BGR report

2544-530: The world. Each span carries four general-use automobile lanes; additionally the westbound span has two reversible HOV lanes across the river. It is the farthest downstream bridge on the Mississippi River. It is also the widest and most heavily traveled bridge on the lower Mississippi; the only other comparable bridges on the Mississippi are in the St. Louis area, those being the Poplar Street Bridge ,

2597-497: Was cypress swamps and marshlands, was drained with the Wood Pump . With development of this new land for residences, Metairie's population grew in the 1940s as a result of cheaper land, lower taxes, and larger lots as compared to Orleans Parish. The 1947 Fort Lauderdale hurricane , with winds of 125 mph (201 km/h), directly hit Metairie. Much of the community was under 6 feet (1.8 m) of water. Hurricane Betsy ,

2650-471: Was announced in the summer of 2009 as the new statewide electronic toll system for Louisiana. GeauxPass is compatible with the Crescent City Connection, the LA-1 Tollway , and all future Louisiana toll roads. There are currently over 100,000 tags in operation. To encourage use of the toll tags, the Crescent City Connection offered several benefits to commuters until 2013, including: As an iconic part of

2703-475: Was federal only and no signs identify the bridge as I-910. This is a temporary designation until Interstate 49 is completed between New Orleans and Lafayette , at which time the bridge will be signed as I-49. This proposed designation currently does not have funding to support all the needed infrastructure to accomplish the plan and has largely been dropped. Upon its opening in 1958, the GNO Bridge charged

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2756-451: Was laid out alongside a drainage canal , and became a commercial center of the region. The central business district of Metairie is located on Causeway Boulevard near Lake Pontchartrain. Metairie also has one of the handful of major malls located in the New Orleans metro area. Lakeside Shopping Center is the highest-grossing mall in the New Orleans metropolitan area. In the 1970s and early 1980s, an area of bars and nightclubs opened in

2809-1110: Was selected over the second-place finisher, the Greater New Orleans Superspan, as the name for the spans. Other names voted on for the naming of the spans included: the Crescent City Twins, the Delta Twins, the Crescent City Bridge, the New Orleans Metro Span, the Crescent City Gateway, the Crescent City Twin Span, the Crescent City River Bridge, The Big Easy and the Li'l Easy, the Jazz City Bridge,

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