Louisiana

[froggie]

Improved access to the French Quarter?  I take it people in Louisiana don't know how to use the current one-way outer roads for I-10 (or are there missing ramps I haven't found yet?)

Not so much missing ramps as it is indirect ramps.  There are no direct ramps from westbound 10 to Claiborne Ave, and only one direct on-ramp, clear down at the Superdome.  Eastbound is a little better, with two direct off-ramps and one direct on-ramp.

I-610 reduces the need for a Crescent City Connection to I-10 east of NO route?  Love to see a traffic flow map actually prove this.

It would if there were more direct ramps at the western 10/610 junction, which I cited earlier as a prerequisite.

* The wording in the article makes the travel times seem unrealistic.  At 30 mph, 2.2 miles would take 4 minutes 24 seconds non-stop.  With "delays at frequent traffic lights" that time will likely increase by at least a minute, maybe more.  The given minimum travel time in the article of 2 minutes is either plainly wrong or they expect a lot of speeders on the boulevard, negating any supposed pedestrian friendliness.

I'm gathering this is more a complaint about the newspaper article, since the report itself (on page 35) gives a different and more realistic view.

* Page 15:  "Most of the traffic using the Claiborne Expressway is coming from South Claiborne or from the Pontchartrain Expressway south of I-10."  So the Westbank corridor doesn't have through traffic?

If you play the "percentages game", it looks like a little under 20% of traffic is through traffic to/from the Westbank.  With improvements at both 10/610 interchanges, it can be accommodated.

[UptownRoadGeek]

Let's see. On eastbound I-10 you have access to The Quarter via the S. Claiborne exit, the Poydras exit, the Orleans Ave exit., and the  Esplanade exit.  From westbound you have Orleans Ave, Canal Street, and indirectly St Bernard Ave.  Although none of these exits empty right onto Iberville, Bienville, or Bourbon; all that they require at the most is a turn at a light and the area is probably the best signed area in town to guide tourist to The Quarter.

My problems with the study are..
1. There's no mention of traffic leaving the lower part of Uptown or the Westbank.
2. They've already stated that it isn't an engineering study. (kind of pointless IMO).
3. Alternative 1 (page 35) states "The diagonal path of the freeway through this street network will create challenges
in terms of efficient intersection design and urban redevelopment along the edges of the corridor." <- that defeats their argument for doing it in the first place.
4. Alternative 2 (page 35) plans to dump I-10 traffic onto S. Miro and S. Galvez with Broad and Rampart serving as relievers. <- That opens up an entirely new book of challenges and costs.
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I don't like the sacrifice a couple of neighborhoods to save one.  Especially when it's not guaranteed. Also, now that we know that LSU is possibly involved in this too, it's starting to sound a little.....

Back on topic. If they were promoting "we're going to tear down this highway because it's old and we're going to fix the Pontchartrain and 610.." then yeah, but when it's "we're tearing down the highway because it will restore the neighborhood. Oh and it's cheaper to tear down 2 miles of it than to replace the entire 4 or 5 miles..." no. It just sounds like a land grab with some stupidity mixed in.

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

It just sounds like a land grab with some stupidity mixed in.

Alas, that is what (some) cities have been reduced to, to increase their tax base. You can't collect taxes on a highway, so take out the non-taxable entity and insert something taxable, like housing or commercial/light industrial property.

[Alps]

Bringing LA 1088/I-12 construction back on topic - could someone please tell me what the ramp configuration is?  There are no photos or plans to be found of the new interchange!  Thanks.

[froggie]

As I understand it, it'll be a diamond interchange.

[Alps]

Taralyn got to me too, and yes it will be.  One of my photos made it look like a loop was being graded, but that was probably just dirt being piled.

[froggie]

Or it's the Louisiana tendency to build huge loop-style ramps on diamond interchanges.  The I-12/LA 434 interchange is an example.

[brownpelican]

Quick update: Eastbound I-12 traffic has now been rerouted onto the mostly-completed new Amite River bridge at the East Baton Rouge-Livingston parish line. Westbound I-12 traffic will be moved to the old I-12 East bridge so the westbound bridge can be torn out for the new westbound bridge.

[UptownRoadGeek]

I read in the paper the other day that DOTD is about to start expanding I-12 from I-10/I-59 westward to 6-lanes.

[UptownRoadGeek]

DOTD awards contract for I-12 widening project in Slidell

"Work on the $25.7 million project will involve widening a section of I-12 from four to six lanes from the I-10/I-12/I-59 interchange to just west of the Vincent's Bayou Bridge. This section of I-12 will have three lanes in each direction when the project is complete. In addition, the I-12 eastbound off-ramp to Northshore Boulevard will be widened from one to two lanes, and a deceleration lane will be added at the I-12 westbound off-ramp to Airport Road.

[froggie]

They really need to extend the 6-laning to Airport/Northshore, instead of stopping it halfway between there and US 11.

[brownpelican]

DOTD awards contract for I-12 widening project in Slidell

"Work on the $25.7 million project will involve widening a section of I-12 from four to six lanes from the I-10/I-12/I-59 interchange to just west of the Vincent's Bayou Bridge. This section of I-12 will have three lanes in each direction when the project is complete. In addition, the I-12 eastbound off-ramp to Northshore Boulevard will be widened from one to two lanes, and a deceleration lane will be added at the I-12 westbound off-ramp to Airport Road.

Went through the I-12/US 11 interchange and spotted Clearview signage on US 11. I believe Clearview will also be placed on the sign bridge across the on and off ramps.

On another note, I thing it's eventual that I-12 will be widened along the entire route. Don't know how long it's gonna take though.

[cjk374]

I completely concur...WIDEN ALL OF I-12!! 

[Anthony_JK]

Or it's the Louisiana tendency to build huge loop-style ramps on diamond interchanges.  The I-12/LA 434 interchange is an example.

I suppose the reason for those wide- ramps is to accomodate the distance needed for the crossing road's grade seperation structures over the at-grade freeways. LA seems to like very liberal horozontal and vertical clearence.



Anthony

[UptownRoadGeek]

I suppose the reason for those wide- ramps is to accomodate the distance needed for the crossing road's grade seperation structures over the at-grade freeways. LA seems to like very liberal horozontal and vertical clearence.



Anthony

I always thought that it was because of the flat terrain and lack of suitable material to build an embankment in the southern end of the state. I've seen few earthen embankments south of the I-12 corridor and those were all in Baton Rouge.

[lamsalfl]

Exits 263 and 266 have earthen embankments.  I can't stand the kind in the city.

[UptownRoadGeek]

Exits 263 and 266 have earthen embankments.  I can't stand the kind in the city.

Oh yeah, I forgot about the 3 in Baton Rouge. The overpass at exit 265 has an embankment as well.
Personally, I love the "embankmentless" overpasses in the city.'

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Question: Anybody have an idea as to why the interstates in metro B.R. are concrete, but the ones in greater N.O. are mostly asphalt? I would argue the terrain, but most new and suburban surface streets in the N.O. area are concrete.

[froggie]

I disagree that most N.O. Interstates are asphalt.  One could make an argument that the rebuilt sections of I-10 used asphalt to reduce construction costs.  But I-310 on the Westbank is concrete.  All of 610 (except where it was rebuilt at I-10 West) is concrete.  And all of 10 between downtown and Slidell is either concrete or concrete underneath an overlay layer of asphalt.  The only asphalt outliers appear to be I-10 through Jefferson Parish, the short bit of at-grade I-310 on the Eastbank, and most of I-510.

[UptownRoadGeek]

In that case maybe I should have been more specific. I'm referring to the surface layers. There is only one stretch of unelevated freeway in this area that I can think of with a concrete surface. Any concrete roadway that is rehabilated is covered with Asphalt. All of ground level I-10 has an asphalt surface except for the stretch between Almonaster/Louisa and Michoud. All of I-12 and I-510 are fully asphalt surfaced to my knowledge and they have even started to apply thin layers of asphalt to elevated portions of I-610. I-310, I'm not so sure. All new freeways in this are are topped with asphalt....... On the other hand new construction in the Baton Rouge area tends to be concrete and rehabilatation usually involves new concrete and no asphalt unless the roadway was already asphalt from my observation.  You can even notice a difference driving between the two on rural stretches. The minute you cross into the Baton Rouge MSA from the New Orleans MSA on I-10 the pavement changes (don't know how coincidental this may be) from asphalt to concrete and the earthen embankments begin.

[brownpelican]

Probably because of the shifting and sinking ground on the Southshore....which is very evident in New Orleans East. That was the reason they had to redo I-10 between Causeway and Clearview.

[codyg1985]

Which pavement performs better on poor soil: concrete (rigid) or asphalt (flexible)? It would be mighty expensive to support the pavement structure with piles or micropilings, but it seems like everything else on the Southshore is on pilings.

[wriddle082]

Which pavement performs better on poor soil: concrete (rigid) or asphalt (flexible)? It would be mighty expensive to support the pavement structure with piles or micropilings, but it seems like everything else on the Southshore is on pilings.

My first guess would be asphalt due to the flexibility.  A really good example of a freeway built on very poor soil is I-20 between Vicksburg and Jackson, MS, an area that features "loess"(?) soil.  The one time I drove it back in the 90's, it was asphalt and very uneven.  Was barely able to safely drive 70 mph.  I would bet money that concrete would be even worse when you add in the expansion joints.

[codyg1985]

Which pavement performs better on poor soil: concrete (rigid) or asphalt (flexible)? It would be mighty expensive to support the pavement structure with piles or micropilings, but it seems like everything else on the Southshore is on pilings.

My first guess would be asphalt due to the flexibility.  A really good example of a freeway built on very poor soil is I-20 between Vicksburg and Jackson, MS, an area that features "loess"(?) soil.  The one time I drove it back in the 90's, it was asphalt and very uneven.  Was barely able to safely drive 70 mph.  I would bet money that concrete would be even worse when you add in the expansion joints.

It would seem to me that it would be a choice between cracking in the concrete slabs due to stress from the soil settling beneath or asphalt that dips along with the settling soil.

I wonder if highway designers considered surcharging the subgrade prior to building the road? What I mean by surcharging is placing a large mass of soil along the road so that the sheer weight of the soil would compress the soil enough so that when the road is builit on top of it, any additional settlement would be negligible. I am guessing that would have been expensive and time-consuming to do for a road, but it has been done for buildings and parking lots built on poor soil.

[brownpelican]

St. Tammany Parish update:

St. Tammany gives drivers a break this holiday season
Christine Harvey, The Times-Picayune

Motorists in St. Tammany Parish will get a break from traffic this holiday season, with several road projects nearly complete or moving to the back burner until the first of the year.

The new Interstate 12 interchange at U.S. 11 is ready for permanent striping, which should begin before the end of the week, according to parish officials. The work to lay new asphalt on Military Road, also known as Louisiana 1090, between Interstate 59 and U.S. 190 also is complete except for permanent striping.

Completing these projects before construction begins on two others along Brown's Switch Road at the intersections of N. Military Road and Robert Boulevard will help ease traffic flow in this area, officials said Wednesday. Workers will add turning lanes onto Brown's Switch from both north- and southbound N. Military and build a roundabout at Robert Road, also known as Louisiana 1091.

Work to clear the area where the turning lanes will be built will begin soon, with construction starting after the first of the year, officials said. The roundabout project will begin construction as soon as the utility companies move their infrastructure to accommodate the new traffic design.

In the same area, the parish currently is working on subsurface drainage and ditching on Haas Road near Slidell, in preparation for road widening. Workers will not mill the road until after the holidays, but intermittent delays related to the drainage work are possible, officials said.

Also near Slidell, crews milled Pearl Acres Road this week, and work to pave the street should be substantially complete by Dec. 21.

Around Louisiana 21 and I-12 near Covington, lanes will remain open during the daylight hours through the holiday season. Work that may impede traffic will take place at night or be postponed until the holidays are complete.

Lastly, workers should begin clearing and grubbing in the next several weeks for the sound barrier planned for the south side of I-12, west of Robert Boulevard. Officials do not anticipate any traffic impact.

All projects on numbered roads, such as U.S. 11 and Louisiana 1090, are state projects, while the remaining projects are being undertaken by St. Tammany Parish.

http://www.nola.com/traffic/index.ssf/2010/12/st_tammany_gives_drivers_a_bre.html

[brownpelican]

Ascension and Livingston parish officials like idea of a toll road/bridge over Amite River just northwest of Port Vincent. The road would run between the La. 42/La. 933 intersection in Ascension across the Amite to the La. 16/La. 447 junction in Livingston. The proposed project would eliminate the bottleneck in Port Vincent at the signalized intersection of La. 42/La. 16.

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/livingston_tangipahoa/111770049.html?index=1&c=y