Louisiana

[UptownRoadGeek]

DOTD to offer new cash and charge lane option at LA 1 Toll

"...The in-lane payment machines will enhance driver convenience by offering multiple payment solutions for non-GeauxPass or non-toll tag customers. The new machines will have the capability to accept all forms of payment — coins, cash (exact change is not necessary), credit cards, and debit cards — giving customers the ability to pay the toll in a way that is most suitable to them. Current GeauxPass or toll tag account holders may continue paying tolls using their online accounts or stopping by the Golden Meadow Customer Service Center..."

[mcdonaat]

Don't know who all here hates US 425 as much as I do, but here's a picture of US 425 messing up a normal intersection... look what highways, and directions, are going to the left

[pctech]

 I was driving through the LSU campus last Sat. on Nicholson  drive. (La 30) I notice that the fairly recently overlay job is already crumbling away, sinking and becoming pot-holed. I wonder if DODT will ever figure out that overlaying a highway in which the underlying base has failed won't work. 

[UptownRoadGeek]

The New Orleans area district finally realized the importance of digging up the base pavement and starting from scratch last year, or at least finally found the money to do so. It's amazing how many streets there are around here that I can drive down and ask, "wait, didn't they resurface this street last year".

[texaskdog]

Maybe they should just rebuild up the hill

[lamsalfl]

Maybe they should just rebuild up the hill

I get the joke!  hahahaha!!!

[brownpelican]

A state Senate committee has passed a proposed bill that would allow voters in Jefferson and Orleans parishes to decide if the tolls on the Crescent City Connection will continue past the end of this year.

The bill now goes to the full Senate for debate.

[Anthony_JK]

A state Senate committee has passed a proposed bill that would allow voters in Jefferson and Orleans parishes to decide if the tolls on the Crescent City Connection will continue past the end of this year.

The bill now goes to the full Senate for debate.

You know what would be a radical idea?? Keep the eastbound tolls, add tolls to the westbound CCC, and use the combined profits to complete the Westbank Expressway to US 90 and Allendale. Then, apply e-tolling to the entire Westbank mainline, and use that to fund upgrading US 90 to I-49 between Allendale and Boutte/I-310. That would knock a considerable amount off the cost of the entire I-49 South project.

[pctech]

http://www.wbrz.com/news/i-12-lane-closures-for-road-work/

I noticed the little lane closure cones the other day. How long until this entire section will have to be rehabilitated? Concrete is crumbling apart.

Mark

[mcdonaat]

Anyone been along US 167 between Opelousas and Ville Platte? Seems that a new highway has been created! LA 167, imagine that.



Any comments? It's signed at the end of the road as LA 167 too.

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

That's a very authentic looking coastline on that shield.

[brownpelican]

The full state Senate has approved a bill that would allow voters in New Orleans; Jefferson and Plaquemines parishes to vote Nov. 6 on whether or not to extend the $1 tolls past the end of this year. It goes to Gov. Jindal for his signature or it becomes law without his signature after 30 days of arrival on his desk.

State Rep. Patrick Connick of Harvey threatens to file a lawsuit to stop Jindal from signing the bill because he sees it as a tax. Whatever happened to letting the people decide?

[mcdonaat]

The full state Senate has approved a bill that would allow voters in New Orleans; Jefferson and Plaquemines parishes to vote Nov. 6 on whether or not to extend the $1 tolls past the end of this year. It goes to Gov. Jindal for his signature or it becomes law without his signature after 30 days of arrival on his desk.

State Rep. Patrick Connick of Harvey threatens to file a lawsuit to stop Jindal from signing the bill because he sees it as a tax. Whatever happened to letting the people decide?

In their mind, people elect the representatives to the legislature. That's their way of deciding. If tolls get phased out, what will support the bridge?

[mcdonaat]

That's a very authentic looking coastline on that shield.

Yeah, surprising to me... There should be a lack of a coastline though and more of a US Highway shield!

[Anthony_JK]

The full state Senate has approved a bill that would allow voters in New Orleans; Jefferson and Plaquemines parishes to vote Nov. 6 on whether or not to extend the $1 tolls past the end of this year. It goes to Gov. Jindal for his signature or it becomes law without his signature after 30 days of arrival on his desk.

State Rep. Patrick Connick of Harvey threatens to file a lawsuit to stop Jindal from signing the bill because he sees it as a tax. Whatever happened to letting the people decide?

In their mind, people elect the representatives to the legislature. That's their way of deciding. If tolls get phased out, what will support the bridge?

The bridge is mostly paid for, since the bonds used to finance construction of the CCC has long since been paid off. The tolls support the Bridge police and the tolls for the remaining ferries; the plan once the tolls are removed would be to privatize the ferries by subbing them out to private companies. I assume that either state or fed maintenance funds would be used for maintanence work if the tolls are removed.

[mcdonaat]

I would like to see a toll remain, but use reduce it to a small fraction of what it is now, and use the money to pay for resurfacing the approaches every few years and making sure the signage gets replaced to conform with the rest of the state. I could also see the toll being collected only on the weekends. Confusing, yes, but use it for maintenance only.

[brownpelican]

In their mind, people elect the representatives to the legislature. That's their way of deciding. If tolls get phased out, what will support the bridge?

It will come from LaDOTD's budget.

[mcdonaat]

Fix up our rural highways and give them to the parishes. Shed the highways that exist solely for political favors (see LA 3121 SPUR and LA 700 for prime examples), renumber the roads to where they make sense (we don't need north-south highways with even numbers and east-west highways with odd numbers), and call it a day. If you shed the unimportant routes, you can cut the highway system down to 7,000 miles, not including the Interstate system. Also, BRING BACK LA 7!!!

[UptownRoadGeek]

I'd like to see the tolls remain myself.  When the tolls go away the cost of lighting and a few other things along the bridge and expressway will be passed on to all of the cities that the CCC and Westbank Expressway travel through and there will be a large reduction in "minor" things such as mowing and street sweeping. Basically, the municipalities are going to pass these costs on to residents who are already in an uproar over paying $0.40 to cross a bridge. They can barely keep the lights on along I-10 through New Orleans and Metairie as it is. Harvey? Marrero?

[mcdonaat]

Maybe shorten the tolls to weekends only, or non-peak hours? My idea is to toll I-610 to pay for lights and maintenance on the New Orleans highway system, and it's multiple children of 10, signed or not. Also, make 610 a geaux-pass highway only. Sounds crazy, but you have so many four lane or six lane surface streets, AND the 10 loop through the CBD. No time lost, a lit highway, mowed grass, updated signage, and no more bumps!

[brownpelican]

The I-12 widening project between O'Neal Lane and Juban Road is complete. All six lanes are opening. Work continues on widening the highway to six lanes between Juban Road and Satsuma.

[froggie]

How about the I-10 widening between I-12 and LA 42, or I-12 in Slidell?

[UptownRoadGeek]

GeauxWiderNOLA

[brownpelican]

I-12 in Saint Tammany is coming along well. They were pouring the concrete on the US 11 overpass earlier this month. They plan on switching traffic to the new inside lane soon while the outside is redone. It's still on target for completion later this summer.

I-10 is looking good too. Westbound is on the new inside lanes in some areas.

See trafficland.com--->click on map of US at the bottom right ---------> Louisiana----->Baton Rouge to see how the new I-12 looks and a peek at the I-10 project.

[mcdonaat]

I'm talking with the DOTD about installing traffic advisories on US 190 about 3 miles from where La 415 splits to the south towards I-10. Too many times I have driven along La 415, then to I-10, only to see nothing but gridlock ahead of me, after I was already on I-10. Anyone for or against this? The same thing could be implemented along I-110 South near Harding Blvd, on an overhead gantry for both Harding and 110, advising traffic to take US 190 instead of the new bridge.