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I49 in LA

Started by rte66man, July 14, 2010, 06:52:15 PM

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Plutonic Panda

I am very curious as to the laws that will surround autonomous cars like who will be at fault for accidents etc... will you need a drivers license to drive? Will some cars not have a manual mode at all?

People with DUI's, suspended drivers license, etc...

What about these money hungry cops? How will they operate their speed traps if all cars obey the speed limits? Will autonomous cars get pulled over for accidentally breaking traffic laws? Lol

This will extend eventually to planes, boats, and trains.

It isn't just truck drivers, catering drivers, delivery drivers, airport shuttles, the guys that drive the cars around the airport to deliver bags... even your golf cart will be autonomous!!! Lol

But there really are some good questions and I'm not trying to be an alarmist here. I'm kind of excited for the fact that I might be able to drive and have fun then when I'm tired kick the seat back and let the car take over as opposed to pulling into a hotel or a rest stop.

As for the timeline of arrival, I haven't got a clue. I'm willing to be the tech will be here quicker than most think but the red tape surrounding it? That's a different story. All kinds of laws will need to be worked out.


oscar

I drove the newest segment of I-49 north of Shreveport, yesterday evening just before sunset, as I was passing through the Shreveport area. Some notes:

-- The answer to yakra's question about the exit number for the south end of the new segment is 211. I took this photo from the inside shoulder of the NB lanes (SB traffic still has to exit at LA 1), with a telephoto lens and even that needed magnification.



-- The "soft launch" of the new segment apparently includes not telling drivers on US 71 north of I-220 about the extension, and indeed retaining old signage misleading them into thinking they have to use LA 1 to connect to I-49.

-- On WB I-220 just west of US 71, the ramp to I-49 north to Texarkana has an uncovered exit sign. Motorists getting the wrong idea will find the new ramp barricaded. I have no idea why the sign is uncovered, especially since it's obvious from ramp bridge segments hanging in mid-air that the I-49 connection to I-220 is nowhere near completion.

-- The new segment is posted at 70 mph. The speed limit goes up to 75 north of exit 215 to LA 1.
my Hot Springs and Highways pages, with links to my roads sites:
http://www.alaskaroads.com/home.html

rte66man

Quote from: oscar on June 18, 2017, 11:18:33 PM
I drove the newest segment of I-49 north of Shreveport, yesterday evening just before sunset, as I was passing through the Shreveport area. Some notes:

-- The answer to yakra's question about the exit number for the south end of the new segment is 211. I took this photo from the inside shoulder of the NB lanes (SB traffic still has to exit at LA 1), with a telephoto lens and even that needed magnification.



There are 5 abbreviations/initials on that sign and only one of them has a period after it.  If you put a period after "Dr" (Doctor) then put one after "Jr" and "Dr" (Drive) to be consistent.  For a minute, I thought it was an OK DOT sign.
When you come to a fork in the road... TAKE IT.

                                                               -Yogi Berra

The Ghostbuster

Does the 211 exit number give an indication of whether Interstate 49 will be built through Shreveport, or whether it will bypass Shreveport via 3132 and 220?

sparker

Quote from: The Ghostbuster on June 19, 2017, 04:35:18 PM
Does the 211 exit number give an indication of whether Interstate 49 will be built through Shreveport, or whether it will bypass Shreveport via 3132 and 220?

Based on sheer mileage alone, the "211" would have to reflect the direct in-town I-49 alignment extending north from the I-20/49 interchange.  A routing along LA 3132 and I-220 would increase that number by 6 or 7 (miles). 

Henry

They better hope their assumptions prove correct!
Go Cubs Go! Go Cubs Go! Hey Chicago, what do you say? The Cubs are gonna win today!

apjung

This news report about an accident at I-220 has footage of the I-49/220 Interchange construction.
http://www.arklatexhomepage.com/news/local-news/major-part-of-interstate-closed-in-shreveport/746051510

Grzrd

This TV video reports that the Northwest Louisiana Council of Governments ("NLCOG") has selected Alternative 1, which travels through Allendale, as the locally preferred alternative for the Inner City Connector ("ICC"):

Quote
One of the final major hurdles that needed to be crossed to build an I-49 extension through the Allendale neighborhood in Shreveport, was done on Friday morning.
During the Northwest Louisiana Council of Government's transportation policy committee, Shreveport Mayor Ollie Tyler moved to adopt the Allendale route instead of the bypass route which would have caused major upgrades to LA 3132.
The rest of the council followed suit and voted in favor of the Allendale route.

During the meeting, the the outlined plan provided a detailed analysis which showed the Allendale route would cost an estimated $547 million if it was built fully elevated with 2 internal interchanges and 4 lanes.
It would cost an estimated $640 million fully elevated with 2 internal interchanges and 6 lanes ....
In contrast, the proposed 3132 route would cost an estimated $832 million dollars including resurfacing and widening to the existing LA 3132.  Reconstruction and widening existing LA 3132 would cost $846 million.

mgk920

What is the likeliest year for start of construction on this as of now?

Mike

Grzrd

Quote from: mgk920 on August 18, 2017, 07:34:45 PM
What is the likeliest year for start of construction on this as of now?

This TV video reports three to five years, with construction lasting five to seven years:

Quote
NLCOG Executive Director Kent Rogers summed up why the council voted unanimously for Alternative 1 through Allendale saying it's the "Shortest, quickest, cheapest" of the options available.
Rogers estimated when construction could get underway, adding, "Best case to start building, I would say 3 to 5 years."
He said it would take another 5 to 7 years to build, meaning it could be as late as 2029 before the I-49 connector project is completed.
"These big giant projects like that, they're 20 year projects, easy," concluded Rogers.

Anthony_JK

Quote from: Grzrd on August 18, 2017, 07:20:46 PM
This TV video reports that the Northwest Louisiana Council of Governments ("NLCOG") has selected Alternative 1, which travels through Allendale, as the locally preferred alternative for the Inner City Connector ("ICC"):

Quote

One of the final major hurdles that needed to be crossed to build an I-49 extension through the Allendale neighborhood in Shreveport, was done on Friday morning.
During the Northwest Louisiana Council of Government's transportation policy committee, Shreveport Mayor Ollie Tyler moved to adopt the Allendale route instead of the bypass route which would have caused major upgrades to LA 3132.
The rest of the council followed suit and voted in favor of the Allendale route.

During the meeting, the the outlined plan provided a detailed analysis which showed the Allendale route would cost an estimated $547 million if it was built fully elevated with 2 internal interchanges and 4 lanes.
It would cost an estimated $640 million fully elevated with 2 internal interchanges and 6 lanes ....
In contrast, the proposed 3132 route would cost an estimated $832 million dollars including resurfacing and widening to the existing LA 3132.  Reconstruction and widening existing LA 3132 would cost $846 million.

So, it looks like they resolved the issue of going through SWEPCO Park by simply removing the park, right?

3 to 5 years should be long enough, given the inevitable lawsuit from the Loop It folks and Allendale over the loss of the park and the housing project.

BTW...KPLC is the Lake Charles NBC-TV affiliate. Nobody in Shreveport media reported this?

Grzrd

Quote from: Anthony_JK on August 19, 2017, 08:08:15 PM
BTW...KPLC is the Lake Charles NBC-TV affiliate. Nobody in Shreveport media reported this?

My second post contains a link to KSLA in Shreveport

Quote from: Anthony_JK on August 19, 2017, 08:08:15 PM
So, it looks like they resolved the issue of going through SWEPCO Park by simply removing the park, right?

This August 18 Shreveport Times article reports that FHWA and LaDOTD found that SWEPCO Park was not deserving of protection:

Quote
Kerry Oriol, project manager for Providence Engineering ....
The Federal Highway Administration, tasked with stewardship over the construction and maintenance of the nation's highways, and the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development made two decisions about whether SWEPCO Park and Cross Lake require protections, Oriol said.
Cross Lake does. SWEPCO Park does not.

The article also provides a projected timeline for a DEIS, FEIS, and ROD:

Quote
Kerry Oriol, project manager for Providence Engineering ....
Oriol said her organization's field team plans to be on site to conduct evaluations on Monday. It hopes to submit a draft to the federal and state agencies by winter of this year and to approve a final version by the first quarter of 2018.
She estimated that a public hearing and stakeholders meetings would occur in the second quarter of 2018, with a final decision by the third quarter of 2018.

cjk374

Kinda makes me wonder....do you reckon that someone has plans & blue prints already made for the I-49/I-220 interchange to continue south? After all, the exits are numbered north of I-220 as though the world had already made up its mind that the ICC was going to be built before any decisions were made about SWEPCO Park & Cross Lake protections.
Runnin' roads and polishin' rails.

sparker

Quote from: cjk374 on August 19, 2017, 09:57:58 PM
Kinda makes me wonder....do you reckon that someone has plans & blue prints already made for the I-49/I-220 interchange to continue south? After all, the exits are numbered north of I-220 as though the world had already made up its mind that the ICC was going to be built before any decisions were made about SWEPCO Park & Cross Lake protections.

I for one would not be surprised to hear that preliminary plans were actually done some time ago -- at least for the segments of the connector closest to its north and south ends.  And since the portion of the 49/220 interchange that will be opened in the near future is still a work in progress, it would also not be surprising if initial grading for the ramps to and from the new connector commences before finish work (any landscaping/planting/etc.) is done -- regardless of any potential litigation re the connector itself. 

Grzrd

Quote from: cjk374 on August 19, 2017, 09:57:58 PM
Kinda makes me wonder....do you reckon that someone has plans & blue prints already made for the I-49/I-220 interchange to continue south?

It may not be a blue print, but it's close enough:

Quote from: Grzrd on April 09, 2013, 04:52:47 PM
Here's how the interchange will look if the Inner City Connector is built:

sparker

Quote from: Grzrd on August 20, 2017, 02:35:18 PM
Quote from: cjk374 on August 19, 2017, 09:57:58 PM
Kinda makes me wonder....do you reckon that someone has plans & blue prints already made for the I-49/I-220 interchange to continue south?

It may not be a blue print, but it's close enough:

Quote from: Grzrd on April 09, 2013, 04:52:47 PM
Here's how the interchange will look if the Inner City Connector is built:

Thanks, Grzrd!  I was wondering if the I-49 trajectory shift required to access the ICC alignment would occur within the bounds of the interchange itself, or would occur further south; this answers my question. 

cjk374

Quote from: sparker on August 20, 2017, 04:32:39 PM
Quote from: Grzrd on August 20, 2017, 02:35:18 PM
Quote from: cjk374 on August 19, 2017, 09:57:58 PM
Kinda makes me wonder....do you reckon that someone has plans & blue prints already made for the I-49/I-220 interchange to continue south?

It may not be a blue print, but it's close enough:

Quote from: Grzrd on April 09, 2013, 04:52:47 PM
Here's how the interchange will look if the Inner City Connector is built:

Thanks, Grzrd!  I was wondering if the I-49 trajectory shift required to access the ICC alignment would occur within the bounds of the interchange itself, or would occur further south; this answers my question. 

There is no choice here. The big nasty Shreveport landfill is located in the bottom left quadrant of the yellow & blue lines.
Runnin' roads and polishin' rails.

sparker

Quote from: cjk374 on August 20, 2017, 06:28:53 PM
Quote from: sparker on August 20, 2017, 04:32:39 PM
Thanks, Grzrd!  I was wondering if the I-49 trajectory shift required to access the ICC alignment would occur within the bounds of the interchange itself, or would occur further south; this answers my question. 

There is no choice here. The big nasty Shreveport landfill is located in the bottom left quadrant of the yellow & blue lines.

Good to know.  If it's anything like the landfills around here, you don't want to be downwind on a hot day (and Shreveport certainly experiences its share of those!). 

Henry

As long as it does not disrupt too much of Allendale, I'd be cool with it. And if it's less expensive than looping it around I-220, then so be it.
Go Cubs Go! Go Cubs Go! Hey Chicago, what do you say? The Cubs are gonna win today!

bassoon1986

Quote from: rte66man on June 19, 2017, 02:34:43 PM
Quote from: oscar on June 18, 2017, 11:18:33 PM
I drove the newest segment of I-49 north of Shreveport, yesterday evening just before sunset, as I was passing through the Shreveport area. Some notes:

-- The answer to yakra's question about the exit number for the south end of the new segment is 211. I took this photo from the inside shoulder of the NB lanes (SB traffic still has to exit at LA 1), with a telephoto lens and even that needed magnification.



There are 5 abbreviations/initials on that sign and only one of them has a period after it.  If you put a period after "Dr" (Doctor) then put one after "Jr" and "Dr" (Drive) to be consistent.  For a minute, I thought it was an OK DOT sign.

Even worse than all the abbreviations...on the unopened southbound section of I-49 between LA 1 and LA 3194, it says" Dr M L KING Jr Dr" with King in all caps.

silverback1065


Gordon

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/staff/10044384/lex-talamo/ Her is an article about I49 Shreveport inter connector About 7 yrs. before actually happening.

US71

Like Alice I Try To Believe Three Impossible Things Before Breakfast

cjk374

Quote from: Gordon on November 24, 2017, 07:37:55 PM
http://www.shreveporttimes.com/staff/10044384/lex-talamo/ Her is an article about I49 Shreveport inter connector About 7 yrs. before actually happening.

Site won't play anything for me. I really wanted to see the E. Kings highway story too.
Runnin' roads and polishin' rails.

Gordon




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