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I49 in LA

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

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US71

Shall we resume the original discussion before it goes even further off the rails or shall I lock it?
Like Alice I Try To Believe Three Impossible Things Before Breakfast


Grzrd

This January 3 TV video says that the I-49/I-220 interchange is about 80 percent complete and it should open in late summer or early fall; it also has some good footage of the ongoing construction:

Quote
"We're about 80 percent complete. We're looking at a late summer early fall completion, weather permitting of course," said Erin Buchanan is the Public Information Officer for the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development.

cjk374

The ramps at the I-49/I-220 interchange are paved. Most, if not all, signage is erected. However, the EB->NB flyover still has 2 sections of bridge missing. Also, some of the guard rail has been poured on the SB->EB flyover. That is the latest & the greatest as of 2/10/18.
Runnin' roads and polishin' rails.

US71

Looks like I-49 has encountered a rain delay
Like Alice I Try To Believe Three Impossible Things Before Breakfast

GreenLanternCorps

Quote from: US71 on March 02, 2018, 11:07:18 AM
Looks like I-49 has encountered a rain delay

Reminds me of Super Bridge where the ramps to both ends of the new Clark Bridge in Alton, Illinois  were flooded out by the Great Flood of 1993 and the construction crew had to be ferried to the bridge by boat.

The Ghostbuster

Do they have any dates on when the Interstate 220-to-Interstate 20 connection might be constructed? Or is that yet-to-be-determined?

GreenLanternCorps

Quote from: The Ghostbuster on March 02, 2018, 05:53:45 PM
Do they have any dates on when the Interstate 220-to-Interstate 20 connection might be constructed? Or is that yet-to-be-determined?

Somewhere up thread are the details, they have a route, but have to design it and get the land.

Anthony_JK

Quote from: GreenLanternCorps on March 02, 2018, 06:36:55 PM
Quote from: The Ghostbuster on March 02, 2018, 05:53:45 PM
Do they have any dates on when the Interstate 220-to-Interstate 20 connection might be constructed? Or is that yet-to-be-determined?

Somewhere up thread are the details, they have a route, but have to design it and get the land.

The Inner City Connector phase of I-49 in Shreveport is still in the environmental review stage, with a Draft EIS due to be published later this year.

The general alignment through Shreveport  between the existing termini of I-49 is being recommended, but due to some local opposition, there is also an alternative using the existing LA 3132 Inner Loop and I-220 as a bypass alternative that is also being reviewed.

Once the final alignment is approved with a ROD (and the inevitable lawsuit from Allendale residents is rejected); they can go ahead with final design and construction...if they find the money, that is.

US71

All the exit signs are up for I-49 at I-220, and along 220. Going by signs on I-220, the road is open, but it's not (still constructing the ramps). LADOTD needs to tarp everything over like Arkansas does or put orange Exit Closed banners on the signs ala Oklahoma.

SB 49 still has to exit at LA 1, but NB traffic can access 49 from LA 3194/ Martin Luther King Dr which is the next exit south of LA 1.
Like Alice I Try To Believe Three Impossible Things Before Breakfast

wdcrft63

Quote from: US71 on March 19, 2018, 02:09:52 PM
All the exit signs are up for I-49 at I-220, and along 220. Going by signs on I-220, the road is open, but it's not (still constructing the ramps). LADOTD needs to tarp everything over like Arkansas does or put orange Exit Closed banners on the signs ala Oklahoma.

SB 49 still has to exit at LA 1, but NB traffic can access 49 from LA 3194/ Martin Luther King Dr which is the next exit south of LA 1.
What's the estimated date for completion of the connection?

US71

Quote from: wdcrft63 on March 19, 2018, 05:49:54 PM
Quote from: US71 on March 19, 2018, 02:09:52 PM
All the exit signs are up for I-49 at I-220, and along 220. Going by signs on I-220, the road is open, but it's not (still constructing the ramps). LADOTD needs to tarp everything over like Arkansas does or put orange Exit Closed banners on the signs ala Oklahoma.

SB 49 still has to exit at LA 1, but NB traffic can access 49 from LA 3194/ Martin Luther King Dr which is the next exit south of LA 1.
What's the estimated date for completion of the connection?

I've not seen any info lately, but my semi-educated guess is this Fall or next Spring to I-220.  South of 220 to complete 49 through town is probably 3-4 years away from starting, then (roughly) two years to complete.
Like Alice I Try To Believe Three Impossible Things Before Breakfast

cjk374

Quote from: wdcrft63 on March 19, 2018, 05:49:54 PM
Quote from: US71 on March 19, 2018, 02:09:52 PM
All the exit signs are up for I-49 at I-220, and along 220. Going by signs on I-220, the road is open, but it's not (still constructing the ramps). LADOTD needs to tarp everything over like Arkansas does or put orange Exit Closed banners on the signs ala Oklahoma.

SB 49 still has to exit at LA 1, but NB traffic can access 49 from LA 3194/ Martin Luther King Dr which is the next exit south of LA 1.
What's the estimated date for completion of the connection?

Possibly fall 2018 according to the last thing I read on it.
Runnin' roads and polishin' rails.

Anthony_JK

Meanwhile, on the I-49 South end....one of the more important phases of the project was completed and finalized with a ribbon-cutting ceremony today of the opening of the US 90/LA 318 interchange in St. Mary Parish.


This project upgraded the previous at-grade intersection with LA 318 to a grade-separated interchange with US 90 overpassing LA 318, reconfigured the frontage road system, and closed off direct access to the US 90 mainline by expanding the frontage road system.


The details of the press conference and ribbon cutting are at the LADOTD website:


http://wwwapps.dotd.la.gov/administration/announcements/Announcement.aspx?key=16685


Other than closing a few direct access points near Jeanerette and grade separating an at-grade railroad spur crossing (or eliminating the spur in favor of an underground pipeline), US 90 is now fully Interstate grade between LA 88 and the LA 182 intersection at Ricohoc.


Work continues on the US 90 upgrade of the Albertson's Parkway/St. Nazaire Road/LA 182/BNSF Railway overpass/interchange in Lafayette Parish near Broussard; that project has a set completion date of this coming fall.


Now, if only Google Maps would get off it and update their platform so we can all see and celebrate the results...


Gordon

Last time I looked at LADOTD they didn't have anymore projects on there 6 month construction list. Are they going to wait and see how the Lafayette Connector decision before they do anymore?

Anthony_JK

Quote from: Gordon on April 27, 2018, 08:53:41 PM
Last time I looked at LADOTD they didn't have anymore projects on there 6 month construction list. Are they going to wait and see how the Lafayette Connector decision before they do anymore?

They are going to be waiting a loooooonnnnng time if they are waiting for the Connector decision; that project is still in the preliminary design/Supplemental EIS stage.

The 6 month list is mostly for projects that are already "shovel-ready".

There are other projects along I-49 South that are closer to construction, funding pending, such as the Ambassador Caffery Parkway South interchange with US 90, along with the Verot School Road and LA 92/LA 92-1 interchanges.

The Connector is at the very least 3-5 years away from being "shovel-ready"...if it isn't stopped by lawsuits first.

Grzrd

Quote from: Anthony_JK on April 27, 2018, 08:27:51 PM
Meanwhile, on the I-49 South end....one of the more important phases of the project was completed and finalized with a ribbon-cutting ceremony today of the opening of the US 90/LA 318 interchange in St. Mary Parish.
This project upgraded the previous at-grade intersection with LA 318 to a grade-separated interchange with US 90 overpassing LA 318, reconfigured the frontage road system, and closed off direct access to the US 90 mainline by expanding the frontage road system.

This May 15 TV video reports that LaDOTD Secretary Dr. Shawn Wilson notes that the LA 318 interchange opens up 42 miles of uninterrupted driving:

Quote
On April 27, DOTD Secretary Dr. Shawn Wilson and Gov. John Bel Edwards attended the ribbon cutting ceremony ....
Actually with 318 opening, we're going to have, I think, 42 miles of uninterrupted interstate to interstate standards,"  Wilson said. "And that's going to be tremendous in terms of getting through that corridor."

Slow progress. Do those 42 miles warrant real I-49 shields?

seicer

Why was this built as essentially an elevated viaduct instead with more fill?

Hot Rod Hootenanny

Quote from: seicer on May 23, 2018, 08:26:30 PM
Why was this built as essentially an elevated viaduct instead with more fill?
Because fill is hard to find (and keep) along that part of the Gulf Swamp, err Louisiana.
Please, don't sue Alex & Andy over what I wrote above

seicer

Gotcha. Looking at the other overpasses - I noticed they are of similar construction. I see work has started further north towards Lafayette, too.

Anthony_JK

Quote from: Grzrd on May 23, 2018, 08:10:10 PM
Quote
On April 27, DOTD Secretary Dr. Shawn Wilson and Gov. John Bel Edwards attended the ribbon cutting ceremony ....
Actually with 318 opening, we're going to have, I think, 42 miles of uninterrupted interstate to interstate standards,"  Wilson said. "And that's going to be tremendous in terms of getting through that corridor."

Slow progress. Do those 42 miles warrant real I-49 shields?

I'd wait a bit until some other portions of US 90 closer to Lafayette are upgraded (like the segment from the airport to New Iberia) and there is a firm commitment on the Lafayette Connector segment before I start dropping I-49 shields and exit numbers.

Also, that's not quite true about the 42 miles; there's still a couple of median crossings along the path of US 90 in Iberia Parish near Jeanerette that need to be closed off, and then there's that hideous rail spur at-grade crossing south of the LA 85 interchange that needs to be either spanned or removed. (They can't decide whether to simply overpass the spur or remove it and replace with a pipeline to serve that sugar cane processing plant.)

Anthony_JK

Quote from: Hot Rod Hootenanny on May 23, 2018, 10:12:07 PM
Quote from: seicer on May 23, 2018, 08:26:30 PM
Why was this built as essentially an elevated viaduct instead with more fill?
Because fill is hard to find (and keep) along that part of the Gulf Swamp, err Louisiana.

Also, that's the standard for modern Louisiana overpasses. Less fill means less settling.

I also noticed in the KLFY vid that they decided to go with traffic signals rather than mere stop sign controls for the ramp connections. Good move there, because I figure this new interchange will soon be attracting some business.

cenlaroads

This is good news about the LA 318 interchange.  Are there any other projects between the Lafayette airport and New Iberia that have been funded?

Also, Anthony, do you have a rough idea of how often that railroad spur is used?  I have never had to stop there, but just seeing it is annoying.

Anthony_JK

Quote from: cenlaroads on May 25, 2018, 11:36:25 PM
This is good news about the LA 318 interchange.  Are there any other projects between the Lafayette airport and New Iberia that have been funded?

Other than the current project at Albertson Parkway/St. Nazaire Road/LA 182/BNSF overpass that's under construction, nothing funded yet. Design is now in progress for the Verot School Road interchange, and design is about to begin for the Ambassador Caffery Parkway South and Youngsville Highway interchanges, but those are still as of yet unfunded.


QuoteAlso, Anthony, do you have a rough idea of how often that railroad spur is used?  I have never had to stop there, but just seeing it is annoying.

The railroad spur south of Jeanerette serves a sugar cane processing plant, so it's usually more active towards the fall harvesting season than otherwise. LADOTD is split between putting an overpass there, or having the Louisiana & Delta Railroad remove the spur altogether and using an underground pipeline to provide fuel to the plant. I'm guessing that the pipeline would be cheaper than an overpass.

cenlaroads

The pipeline probably would be cheaper.  Thanks for the info.

nexus73

Quote from: Grzrd on May 23, 2018, 08:10:10 PM
Quote from: Anthony_JK on April 27, 2018, 08:27:51 PM
Meanwhile, on the I-49 South end....one of the more important phases of the project was completed and finalized with a ribbon-cutting ceremony today of the opening of the US 90/LA 318 interchange in St. Mary Parish.
This project upgraded the previous at-grade intersection with LA 318 to a grade-separated interchange with US 90 overpassing LA 318, reconfigured the frontage road system, and closed off direct access to the US 90 mainline by expanding the frontage road system.

This May 15 TV video reports that LaDOTD Secretary Dr. Shawn Wilson notes that the LA 318 interchange opens up 42 miles of uninterrupted driving:

Quote
On April 27, DOTD Secretary Dr. Shawn Wilson and Gov. John Bel Edwards attended the ribbon cutting ceremony ....
Actually with 318 opening, we're going to have, I think, 42 miles of uninterrupted interstate to interstate standards,” Wilson said. “And that's going to be tremendous in terms of getting through that corridor."

Slow progress. Do those 42 miles warrant real I-49 shields?

Sure!  How many miles of I-11 do we have?  Less than 42 no doubt!

Rick
US 101 is THE backbone of the Pacific coast from Bandon OR to Willits CA.  Industry, tourism and local traffic would be gone or severely crippled without it being in functioning condition in BOTH states.



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