Bonnet Carre Spillway opened again at 1pm 5/10/19

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I think I have to take the CONO and eastern SL this fall, if I can travel at all. They may go away permanently, or every spring, at this rate. Interesting that the Crescent nearly always operates... Taller bridge? NOLA is doomed by sea level rise and subsidence so I really should visit it sooner not later...
 
The latest round of heavy rainfall and flooding in the Mississippi catchment is causing the river to rise enough to require the opening of the Morganza Spillway again (after 2011) in addition to the Bonnet Carre Spillway which is already open.. This one actually floods farmland and other property as the water flows into the Atchafalaya River. It is likely to happen starting Sunday the 2nd of June

https://www.wafb.com/2019/05/27/timeline-announcent-open-morganza-spillway-expected-monday/
 
When I went through St. Louis on Sunday Morning the Mississippi was FULL another foot and the tracks would have been in danger.
 
Only thing that will save them is restoration of wetlands to absorb additional flows I suppose. Otherwise all this additional water would flow to the sea directly, the only question is through which channel.
 
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I think I have to take the CONO and eastern SL this fall, if I can travel at all. They may go away permanently, or every spring, at this rate. Interesting that the Crescent nearly always operates... Taller bridge? NOLA is doomed by sea level rise and subsidence so I really should visit it sooner not later...

The Sunset Limited does not cross the trestle over the Bonnet Carre Spillway, only the City of New Orleans does. The SL is still running into and out of New Orleans without a problem as it crosses the Mississippi River on a 150-foot-tall bridge (Huey P. Long Bridge).

The Crescent does not cross a flood spillway on a rickety old wood trestle with inadequate base for the posts on which the track deck sits.

This won't matter in a couple of years. The CN Railway has started construction on a new modern concrete trestle over the Bonnet Carre Spillway. The new trestle is being built right next to the old wooden one, which will be torn down once the new trestle is complete. Once the new bridge opens, Amtrak will be able to run the CONO year-round regardless of spillway openings.
 
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