And, how exactly do you upgrade two-lane roads to tollway standards for this "smart roads" scheme? And what roads would you use? US 167 from Maurice to Abbeville? LA 14 from Abbeville to New Iberia? LA 31 through St. Martinville?? US 190 through Opelousas?? Really???
I spent some time trying to figure out what they are talking about. The only thing that makes sense, as a bypass loop around Lafayette, is a tollway that does this: Branch off of I-10 just east of Crowley. Bypass Crowley to the east. Pick up LA 13 south of Crowley and follow it to just north of Kaplan. Leave LA 13 and veer east, bypassing Kaplan. Pick up LA 14 east of Kaplan, and follow it to New Iberia, making use of bypasses around Abbeville and Erath and bypassing or bisecting Delcambre.
Now, as you know, Louisiana does not have a tradition of building new highways in this manner. I can't think of any case where Louisiana took a major length of an existing two-lane road and incorporated it into a freeway. I can think of a few cases where Louisiana used an existing two-lane road as a service road for a new freeway, but that's it. This sort of thing just doesn't fit either Louisiana history or Louisiana attitudes about roads.
The only other logical thing I can think of that uses existing routes is upgrading US 190 from Kinder to Baton Rouge.
Crowley to Kaplan to New Iberia?? That would be one hell of an outer loop, further than even the Grand Parkway in Houston. As if, Duson and Rayne are exburbs of Lafayette?? LOL
Personally, I'd simply concentrate on the SW perimeter of the LRX between I-10 near Scott and US 90/Future I-49 just north of New Iberia. That would make for a convenient shortcut for traffic wanting to escape the madness of Baton Rouge going to NOLA. Plus, if you wanted create a southern I-10 or I-6 combining that portion of the LRX and the majority of I-49 South to NOLA, that would do the job....and you could still keep I-49 for the remaining portions through Broussard and Lafayette.
Personally, I have a feeling that LRX is largely a pipe dream. Once I-49 is finished through Lafayette, LRX won't be much of a shortcut. Lafayette still isn't Houston. The main reason that we need LRX is because there is no freeway through Lafayette. LRX basically keep people in Vermilion Parish and Lafayette's south/western suburbs from having to go into Lafayette to catch a freeway. I'm just having a hard time seeing how people will support the cost of LRX once I-49 is complete through Lafayette.
(Oh, if I could go back 60 years and show Lafayette people what a mess Ambassador Caffery is today, because it was built as an arterial rather than a limited-access freeway...)
Strangely enough, one of the original alignments for the LRX did use the southern extension of Ambassador Caffery Parkway for its eastern terminus with US 90/Future I-49 South. The current plans for the Ambassador Caffery interchange with US 90 even includes as part of its ultimate buildout additional ROW for direct connection flyover ramps for the northbound I-49 to westbound ACP and eastbound ACP to northbound I-49 movements. Though, more than likely, that will be eliminated for cost reasons and the ultimate interchange will be a more urban-like slip-ramp diamond with continuous access roads flanking the mainlines.
The more appropriate eastern terminus for the LRX with I-49 would probably be somewhere near where Captain Cade Road intersects with US 90, between the Young Street/LA 92 intersection (which will be converted to an interchange) and the LA 88 interchange.
Ambassador Caffery as a freeway probably wouldn't fly because there is simply too many direct access businesses along it. Heck, the original plans for an interchange between ACP and Johnston Street near Acadiana Mall were too much, so that they have reduced that down to a reduced phased intersection (I assume using Ridge Road to reduce the phases).
Also...given how much Broussard and Youngsville are blowing up, as well as Scott, there is more justification for the LRX than many think. It may be a pipe dream for now, but down the line after I-49 is finished, it could become a distinct reality.