GONZALES, La. — A family in Ascension Parish welcomed the new year with a bonfire that included a massive replica of the Sunshine Bridge.
Courtney Laiche told WBRZ-TV in Baton Rouge that they have burned other large-scale replicas in the past, but this year they wanted to do something that impacted a lot of people in 2018.
“We’ve built helicopters, tanks. We’ve done a ship, a Winnebago. We’ve done Tiger Stadium,” Jason Pugh said.
But this year’s bonfire had to be bigger and better.
In October, the Sunshine Bridge closed after it was struck by a barge and crane. The closure cut off communities on the west side of the river and adding two additional hours to many drivers’ daily commute time.
