a lake on the side of the road

[probus]

Like this one over Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana, USA.

View attachment 3788

I'd call that one a causeway. Incidentally, it has a magnificent lift bridge near its middle so that boats can get across it.

 

[GoesStation]

I'd call that one a causeway. Incidentally, it has a magnificent lift bridge near its middle so that boats can get across it.

It's officially called a causeway, but I think most of it is, in fact, a bridge.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

All good. Or:

- The road runs along a lake.
- The road runs past a lake.
- The road goes by a lake.
- The road follows a lakeshore.
- The road traces a lake's contour.
- The road wends its way beside a lake.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

I'd call that one a causeway. Incidentally, it has a magnificent lift bridge near its middle so that boats can get across it.

Isn't that a bridge? All the causeways I can think of are built on earth and are close to the water.

 

[GoesStation]

Isn't that a bridge? All the causeways I can think of are built on earth and are close to the water.

It's a misnamed bridge. The Wikipedia article vacillates between "causeway" and "bridge", but favors the latter despite the official name.

 

[probus]

Just the other evening I happened to see on PBS a little feature on the road across Lake Pontchartrain. It is mostly bridge, with some causeway too. The amazing lift bridge dates back to the 19th century and still operates every day. They have to do the essential maintenance during a four-hour window in the middle of the night.

 

[GoesStation]

The amazing lift bridge dates back to the 19th century and still operates every day.

Was it moved from its original location? The causeway opened in 1956.

 

[Rover_KE]

To me, causeways in tidal waterways are submerged at high tide.

 

[GoesStation]

To me, causeways in tidal waterways are submerged at high tide.

I guess you're thinking of things like the old route to Mont St.-Michel. In American English (for the relatively few Americans who ever use the word), a causeway is normally a road on a ridge of land built up to stay above any tides. For example, the main access route to Galveston Island, Texas is a causeway. Hurricane Ike notwithstanding, it's normally open twenty-four hours a day.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Yup. I don't think of the word as rare. Maybe the northeast US has more of them than other places.

Here's my favorite, because it's so snaky. It connects Little Deer Isle with Big Deer Isle on the Maine coast:

 

[jutfrank]

It connects Little Deer Isle with Big Deer Isle on the Maine coast:

Two neighbouring isles, each having deer of different sizes? How lovely.

 

[GoesStation]

Two neighbouring isles, each having deer of different sizes? How lovely.

The islands on the US-Russian border have diomedes of different sizes.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Two neighbouring isles, each having deer of different sizes? How lovely.

Thanks, Jut! My first good laugh of the day.

We need you here. We also have Great Cranberry and Little Cranberry, Baker and Little Baker (in a tiny toque?), Bareneck and Little Bareneck (in a little scarf?), Big Bear and Little Bear (Yogi and Booboo?), Calf and Little Calf, Crow and Little Crow (lost caws?), and so on.

 

[probus]

Two neighbouring isles, each having deer of different sizes? How lovely.

It wouldn't have surprised Darwin one bit after his visit to the Galapagos.;-)

 

[probus]

Was it moved from its original location? The causeway opened in 1956.

Apparently I was off by a (paltry;-)) hundred years. Perhaps I misinterpreted "the last century".

 

[Rover_KE]

Thank you all for an interesting thread, but the OP was answered long ago.

Closed.