...a HUGE oops by LaDOTD

[mcdonaat]

I received the most interesting email from Mr. Jim Porter of the Louisiana DOTD:

For example state route LA 3094 in Shreveport is the temporary route number that was assigned to the staged construction of the US 171 extension to US 71 in north Shreveport.  However, when the staged construction was completed in the 1970 someone forgot to change the temporary route number (LA 3094) to US 171.  Discovered recently, we are still working on it.

In road geek news, this is AMAZING! For one, US 171 DOES meet up with its parent, US 71, north of Shreveport, For two, this means that US 171 will have an exit signed for it on I-49. And for three, this means that another 3000-series number will be deleted. I don't know how you can just glaze over a highway like that, but who knows?

In other US 171 news, US 171 Spur was created along the old US 171 route in Zwolle. Wikipedia has been updated to show it as such, and it means that, not only is US 171 getting its' first bannered route, but it is also being extended north to meet a parent.

Any comments?

[agentsteel53]

how was it signed in the field?  171 or 3094?

[mcdonaat]

The US 171 Extension was signed as LA 3094. These 3XXX designations are actually only supposed to be temporary, which would make sense. It's still signed as the state highway, with a resigning occurring soon.

[Alex]

The US 171 Extension was signed as LA 3094. These 3XXX designations are actually only supposed to be temporary, which would make sense. It's still signed as the state highway, with a resigning occurring soon.

Did not know that about the 3xxx designations...so LA 3132 in Shreveport is a placeholder for something else?

[mcdonaat]

The US 171 Extension was signed as LA 3094. These 3XXX designations are actually only supposed to be temporary, which would make sense. It's still signed as the state highway, with a resigning occurring soon.

Did not know that about the 3xxx designations...so LA 3132 in Shreveport is a placeholder for something else?

Yes, LA 3132 was a placeholder for I-220. Whenever the loop was cancelled, there was talk of naming LA 3132 something else; the most recent rumor I heard was I-169, creating a spur route from I-69, up the corridor through LA 1, to I-20.

That was the original plan for 3XXX routes, but the DOTD decided to use the route numbers to create permanent routes. Instead, 12XX routes are now being used instead of 3XXX routes. If everything goes to plan, in about 10 years, you'll finally see LA 1300.

[Alps]

The US 171 Extension was signed as LA 3094. These 3XXX designations are actually only supposed to be temporary, which would make sense. It's still signed as the state highway, with a resigning occurring soon.

3049 doesn't strike me as temporary, considering it's the old 71.

[mcdonaat]

The US 171 Extension was signed as LA 3094. These 3XXX designations are actually only supposed to be temporary, which would make sense. It's still signed as the state highway, with a resigning occurring soon.

3049 doesn't strike me as temporary, considering it's the old 71.

Actually, it isn't the old US 71. I'm talking about LA 3094, not 3049. 3094 is what extends north from where US 171 "terminates."

[Alps]

The US 171 Extension was signed as LA 3094. These 3XXX designations are actually only supposed to be temporary, which would make sense. It's still signed as the state highway, with a resigning occurring soon.

3049 doesn't strike me as temporary, considering it's the old 71.

Actually, it isn't the old US 71. I'm talking about LA 3094, not 3049. 3094 is what extends north from where US 171 "terminates."

I know, I was just saying that the 3XXX designation for 3049 doesn't seem to be temporary in nature. And if 3049 isn't old 71, what is it?

[mcdonaat]

The US 171 Extension was signed as LA 3094. These 3XXX designations are actually only supposed to be temporary, which would make sense. It's still signed as the state highway, with a resigning occurring soon.

3049 doesn't strike me as temporary, considering it's the old 71.

Actually, it isn't the old US 71. I'm talking about LA 3094, not 3049. 3094 is what extends north from where US 171 "terminates."

I know, I was just saying that the 3XXX designation for 3049 doesn't seem to be temporary in nature. And if 3049 isn't old 71, what is it?

LA 3049 was the old US 71 at one time... but was supposed to be a holder until the city took it over. A big push is going on to upgrade roads to what the city wants, then hand it over.

[US71]

LA 3049 was the old US 71 at one time... but was supposed to be a holder until the city took it over. A big push is going on to upgrade roads to what the city wants, then hand it over.

Arkansas does that, too: upgrades at state expense, then the city take over maintenance.

[mcdonaat]

The state is being a hooker... doing anything to give away the highways. Parishes don't want them, state needs mileage. Trying to clear up miles for I-49 North.

[bugo]

LA 3049 was the old US 71 at one time... but was supposed to be a holder until the city took it over. A big push is going on to upgrade roads to what the city wants, then hand it over.

Arkansas does that, too: upgrades at state expense, then the city take over maintenance.

The road from 71 to the Walmart center near the MO/AR state line was built as US 71 Spur.  It was never signed, because as soon as it was finished it was decommissoned and given to the locals.

[US71]

LA 3049 was the old US 71 at one time... but was supposed to be a holder until the city took it over. A big push is going on to upgrade roads to what the city wants, then hand it over.

Arkansas does that, too: upgrades at state expense, then the city take over maintenance.

The road from 71 to the Walmart center near the MO/AR state line was built as US 71 Spur.  It was never signed, because as soon as it was finished it was decommissoned and given to the locals.

I received the most interesting email from Mr. Jim Porter of the Louisiana DOTD:

For example state route LA 3094 in Shreveport is the temporary route number that was assigned to the staged construction of the US 171 extension to US 71 in north Shreveport.  However, when the staged construction was completed in the 1970 someone forgot to change the temporary route number (LA 3094) to US 171.  Discovered recently, we are still working on it.

In road geek news, this is AMAZING! For one, US 171 DOES meet up with its parent, US 71, north of Shreveport, For two, this means that US 171 will have an exit signed for it on I-49. And for three, this means that another 3000-series number will be deleted. I don't know how you can just glaze over a highway like that, but who knows?

In other US 171 news, US 171 Spur was created along the old US 171 route in Zwolle. Wikipedia has been updated to show it as such, and it means that, not only is US 171 getting its' first bannered route, but it is also being extended north to meet a parent.

Any comments?

There's a section of 171 that get rerouted south of Mansfield a few years ago: does that have a designation or is it simply "old 171"?  http://goo.gl/maps/2mqI

Nice to hear 171 may finally meet its parent

[mcdonaat]

Near Mansfield, it's going to be DeSoto PR 171, probably. It's local control.

[US71]

Near Mansfield, it's going to be DeSoto PR 171, probably. It's local control.

Last time I was through there was 2009 and it looked like the reroute had just been finished (as well as 84's reroute in Mansfield). The old road wasn't signed at all, but my "gut feeling" had me drive it. Not a lot to see except the old railroad bridge, but that was worth it

[Urban Prairie Schooner]

The US 171 Extension was signed as LA 3094. These 3XXX designations are actually only supposed to be temporary, which would make sense. It's still signed as the state highway, with a resigning occurring soon.

There are many, many 3xxx routes in the state. At least in Jefferson Parish, you have (among others) 3046 (Causeway Blvd viaduct), 3152 (Clearview Pkwy) and 3139 (Earhart Expwy), and those numbers have existed for a good many years. Are you saying that these routes were either intended to be renumbered as something else or turned back to local governments? LA 3152 was recently extended as well.

I imagine that some of the 3xxx routes were intended to be temporary (witness LA 3052, LA 3026, and other disappeared routes) but the 3xxx sequence was being used as a common pool for new state route designations whether temporary or permanent.

And the DOTD is just now discovering that US 171 was never extended to its parent, given the fact that they maintain the route logs and GIS centerline data? Sheesh....

[Urban Prairie Schooner]

In other US 171 news, US 171 Spur was created along the old US 171 route in Zwolle. Wikipedia has been updated to show it as such, and it means that, not only is US 171 getting its' first bannered route, but it is also being extended north to meet a parent.

So what will the north-south portion of old US 171 through Zwolle be signed as? I am guessing LA 120.

I was sure this was to be a business route per the most recent Sabine Parish map on the DOTD website, but we all know how accurate those can be....

[mcdonaat]

In other US 171 news, US 171 Spur was created along the old US 171 route in Zwolle. Wikipedia has been updated to show it as such, and it means that, not only is US 171 getting its' first bannered route, but it is also being extended north to meet a parent.

So what will the north-south portion of old US 171 through Zwolle be signed as? I am guessing LA 120.

I was sure this was to be a business route per the most recent Sabine Parish map on the DOTD website, but we all know how accurate those can be....

The route additions and deletions that I saw had US Route 171 Spur created in 2011, for the entire route through Zwolle. LA 120 therefore still technically ends at US 171. Seems weird to name it Spur US 171 for the entire route, instead of loop, but at least we have a US route still running through the small town!

LA 120 had no route changes from the same time as US 171 Spur's creation, so that would mean US 171 Spur is actually a loop of some sorts. I like US 171 Spur more than LA 3293.

[cjk374]

The new US 79 TRUCK BYPASS (yes, the reassurance signs have 3 banners above the shield...direction, TRUCK, & BYPASS  ) is numbered on paper as LA 3244.  I'm sure alot of other roads are also. It appears that Braswell Lane in Simsboro between LA 507 & LA 563 has been turned into a state highway.  It has centerlines & white shoulder lines painted, reflectors, & new curve signs, culvert signs, & speed limit signs...but no state shields and I have no idea what the number is.   

[mcdonaat]

The new US 79 TRUCK BYPASS (yes, the reassurance signs have 3 banners above the shield...direction, TRUCK, & BYPASS  ) is numbered on paper as LA 3244.  I'm sure alot of other roads are also. It appears that Braswell Lane in Simsboro between LA 507 & LA 563 has been turned into a state highway.  It has centerlines & white shoulder lines painted, reflectors, & new curve signs, culvert signs, & speed limit signs...but no state shields and I have no idea what the number is.   

Braswell Road is Parish Road 334. I came across an instance of that driving along US 71 north of Shreveport... Caddo PR 16 is a two-lane road, striped with shoulder lines, reflectors, curve signs, culverts, and speed limit signs. Parishes sometimes get this money from the state to upgrade the road, and if the road is actually used enough, they will upgrade the highways to state standards.