Belle of Baton Rouge Riverboat Casino Footbridges Collapse in Louisiana
The pedestrian bridges linking the Belle of Baton Rouge’s hotel and parking garage to its longstanding riverboat casino fell down after authorities stated that a floating buoy between the two walkways malfunctioned.
For thirty years, the two pedestrian bridges connected the Belle of Baton Rouge’s physical hotel, indoor pool, gym, eateries, and glass-enclosed atrium with the riverboat casino, which had approximately 350 slot machines and 10 live dealer table games.
Launched in September 1994, the riverboat closed last October when a temporary casino in the atrium commenced operations. The four-deck sternwheeler, which had resided on a barge just north of the Interstate 10 Horace Wilkinson Bridge for three decades, was towed to Terrebonne Parish in January for scrapping and recycling.
On Friday, the footbridges collapsed into the Mississippi River. Local authorities assert that the building is stable and will not shift any more. Security staff have been positioned to prevent individuals from entering the fallen walkways.
The buoy was created to enable the western sections of the walkways to rise and fall with the river's changes but malfunctioned on Friday when the river level exceeded 40 feet, which was five feet above the 35-foot flood stage.
Bally's Awaits Approval from the State
In February, the private equity firm Standard General finalized its $4.6 billion purchase of Bally’s Corporation. The hedge fund guided by Soo Kim's Bally's agreement also encompassed Queen Casino & Entertainment Inc. along with its two Louisiana riverboats — the Belle of Baton Rouge and The Queen Baton Rouge — as well as DraftKings at Casino Queen in East St. Louis, Illinois, and Casino Queen Marquette in Iowa.
Standard General has been optimistic about the Baton Rouge market for years. Following the acquisition of Queen Casino & Entertainment, previously referred to as CQ Holdings, in 2022, significant investments and property rebranding initiatives were revealed. In 2023, over $100 million invested in The Queen Baton Rouge, upstream from the Belle, led to the creation of a new 100K-square-foot terrestrial casino along with enhanced dining and drinking establishments.
A budget of $141 million has been established at the Belle. The Belle renovation involved updating all 242 guest rooms and changing the property's name to Bally’s.
The Baton Rouge Hotel at Bally’s opened its doors last month. The temporary atrium casino, featuring around 220 slot machines and three table games, continues to function as the Belle of Baton Rouge while the Louisiana Gaming Control Board assesses the proposal to rename the gaming license to Bally’s.
Pathway Deconstruction
As the Belle of Baton Rouge riverboat is no longer moored on the Mississippi, the previous footbridges will be removed after their failure.
The longer bridge connecting the atrium building to the casino extended over 700 feet. The smaller bridge linking the parking garage on S. River Rd. to the gaming vessel measured approximately 500 feet.
After numerous destructive hurricanes and floods, Louisiana legislators in 2018 permitted riverboats to relocate on land, provided that the permanent structures stay within 1,200 feet, or roughly a quarter-mile, of their initial barges.
