Louisiana's 24-Year-Late Fix For a Bridge Carrying 90,000 Cars With 6/100 Safety Score

The Calcasieu River Bridge had been flagged as structurally deficient for years, earning a 6 out of 100 safety rating while remaining one of the busiest crossings in the state. Plans for a replacement were made, delayed, revised, and delayed again across 24 years of bureaucratic stalling while commuters crossed their fingers every single day. How does a bridge this critical get this neglected for this long? And is the fix actually coming this time?