Louisiana Statewide Transportation Plan Update Nearly Finalized

[Anthony_JK]

I had reported earlier over at the I-49 in LA thread about LADOTD nearly finalizing its Statewide Transportation Plan for 2014 regarding I-49 South, but here are some other highlights (or lowlights, depending on your opinion) of the proposed "megaproject" plan.

Here's a synopsis of projects in each category:


"Priority A" Megaprojects

• I-49 South through Lafayette (I-49 Connector)
• US 90 (Future I-49 South) upgrade from LA 1/LA 308/Bayou Lafouche Crossing to just W of Des Allemands
• Widening of I-20 through Shreveport-Bossier City (including Red River Bridge)
• Widening of I-20 through Monroe
• Widening of I-10 through Lake Charles (including new Calcasieu River Bridge), Lafayette (LA 93 to I-49), Baton Rouge (Mississippi River to 10/12 Split and on through Gonzales), and NOLA
• Widening of I-12 in Slidell (Airport Road to 10/12/59 Interchange)
• Three-forths of the arterial Alexandria Loop (connecting both sides of LA 28)
• Completion of the last two unfinished TIMED projects (Florida Avenue Bridge in NOLA, LA 3241 4-lane from I-12 to Bush in St. Tammany Parish)
• Deepening of the Mississippi River Channel and other port channels

Priority "B" Megaprojects

• I-49 South-US 90 Freeway Upgrade of Wax Lake Outlet to Berwick Segment and completion of elevated WestBank Expressway extension to Sengette Boulevard just short of US 90/Huey P. Long Interchange
• Phase 2 of LA 1 elevated tollway from Golden Meadow to Leeville (potential 4-lane tollway between Port Fourchon and I-49 South??)
• North-South Evacuation Connector for Houma/Thibodeaux area between LA 3217 and US 90/Future I-49 South, initial 2 lanes of ultimate 4-lane ROW
• New Ouchita River bridge for segment of Ouchita Loop in Monroe with connections to US 165 and I-20
• Continued widening of I-10 though Gonzales area down to LA 22 (Sunshine Bridge) & a section of I-10 through eastern NOLA
• Widening US 84 between Archie (LA 28) and Ferriday (US 425/US 65) as part of El Camino Real project)
• Extend I-12 widening from Satsuma to I-55 interchange at Hammond
• Replace the Jimmie Davis Bridge (LA 511) in Shreveport (only w/ 2 lane bridge, though; no widening to 4 lanes)
• Safety/shoulder improvements to the Ponchatrain Causeway Bridge between NOLA and Mandeville
• I-49 Inner City Connector in Shreveport
• Baton Rouge Freeway/Tollway Loop North Bypass (including upgrade/replacement of US 190 Mississippi River Bridge)
• Loyola Avenue Interchange Upgrade (for directional ramps for new Louis Armstrong NOIA terminal)
• Safety reconstructions of interchanges on I-12 in Slidell
• Commuter Rail between Baton Rouge and NOLA; and NOLA Gateway Project for upgrading freight rail traffiic

Those projects are scheduled to be funded under the proposed financing scenarios.

They also had some Priority C & D projects that were either essential projects that were deferred to the future when funding was assuered, or obvious pipe dreams.

Projects listed in Priority C include:

the remaining segments of I-49 South,
the LA segments of I-69 between US 171 and I-20,
the proposed BUMP alternative to the BTR Loop that would upgrade Airline Highway to a tollway,
completion of widening of the major E-W interstate highways (10, 12, 20) in their entirity,
widening I-49 between Lafayette and Opelousas,
completing the 4 lane N/S Evacuation Route in South Louisiana,
widening and possibly freewayizing US 165 through Monroe,
extending I-510 across the Mississippi River at Chalmette and possibly connecting it with I-49 South near the Westbank Expressway,
the widening and expansion of the Earhart Expressway from I-310 to a temp connection with Airline Highway in Metarie and ultimate completion to I-10,
widening the Ponchatrain Causeway to 6 lanes,
completing the bypass connection in Bastrop between US 165 and US 425,
constructing the LA 1 Connector bypass from Westport to near Addis, and a new bridge across the Mississippi River between Addis and Gardere between BTR and Donaldsonville/Sunshine Bridge,
direct connectors between I-10 E >> I-55 N and I-55 S >> I-10 W (essentially completing the 10/55 interchange near LaPlace),
constructing the Lafayette arterial loop,
upgrading MacArthur Drive in Alexandria between the I-49 junctions (and north across the new Fort Buhlow Bridge) to freeway standards,
and, extending commuter rail between downtown NOLA and the Louis Armstrong NOIA.


Finally, there are the Priority D "pipe dreams", which include some outright doozies:

Freewayizing US 165 between I-10 and I-20 through Alexandria,
Frewayizing US 190 from US 165 in Kinder to I-49 at Opelousas (Personal beef: but NOT US 190 from Opelousas to Baton Rouge?? WTF, LADOTD??),
Completing the LA 1 tollway from I-49 South/US 90 to Port Fourchon,
Widening LA 12/US 190 from the TX line to where the current US 190 4-lane starts W of Eunice,
Completing the Zachary Taylor Parkway by 4-laning LA 1 and LA 10,
Building the South Bypass of the Baton Rouge Freeway/Tollway Loop,
and widening a bunch of other state highways around the state.

The full list of Megaprojects (remember, this has to be finalized) can be found here:

http://wwwsp.dotd.la.gov/Inside_LaDOTD/Divisions/Multimodal/Transportation_Plan/Policy_Meeting_2/06%20Draft%20List%20of%20Megaprojects%20%E2%80%93%20April%2024%202014.pdf


Comments, y'all???

[pctech]

Have they got "mega funding" located? Most of these things should be considered more of a "wish list" than a plan. Nice to see the intercity BR-NOLA rail in the list, I wish it had higher priority though.

[cenlaroads]

I like that they have added another portion of I-49 south to the priority A list, though I would rather have chosen the Wax Lake Outlet-Berwick section over Raceland-Des Allemands.  Then again, I have never driven 90 east of Raceland, so perhaps it needs access limitation more than the St. Mary Parish section?

The biggest jump that I notice is the movement of the Alexandria loop from Priority D to A.  Is this really warranted?  Of course, Alexandria and Pineville traffic could be better, but I think that all of the megaprojects listed for the other metro areas should take precedence over this one.  I also see that part of it is already funded, which is interesting.

I see that DOTD is still set on widening I-10 between the splits, along with building the Baton Rouge bypass.  Both would certainly be nice, but probably impractical.  I like the idea of using Airline as a partial bypass, but I am not sure how the old bridge could feasibly be widened.

Finally, there are the Priority D "pipe dreams", which include some outright doozies:

Freewayizing US 165 between I-10 and I-20 through Alexandria,
Frewayizing US 190 from US 165 in Kinder to I-49 at Opelousas
(Personal beef: but NOT US 190 from Opelousas to Baton Rouge?? WTF, LADOTD??),

I agree that this is bizarre.  The upgrade of 190 from Opelousas to Baton Rouge was included in the previous STP.  Not only is it more necessary than the segment from Kinder to Opelousas, it is, as far as I can see, more feasible, considering that there would be fewer towns to bypass, and a bypass of Opelousas would not be necessary.  Of course, a new bridge over the Atchafalaya might be needed, along with a new bridge across the Morganza Spillway.  Either way, traffic certainly justifies upgrading east of Opelousas rather than west.

I really can't comment on any of the New Orleans area projects.  I know NO and the North Shore less well than any other parts of the state, except the extreme northeastern parishes.  It is nice to see that DOTD recognizes the long term need to widen I-20 from TX to Monroe, and I-10 from TX to New Orleans, though none of us will live to see that happen.

Can someone remind me again what work remains to convert US 90 to freeway standards between LA 88 and the Wax Lake Outlet, other than construction of an interchange at LA 318?

[Anthony_JK]

I like that they have added another portion of I-49 south to the priority A list, though I would rather have chosen the Wax Lake Outlet-Berwick section over Raceland-Des Allemands.  Then again, I have never driven 90 east of Raceland, so perhaps it needs access limitation more than the St. Mary Parish section?

The main reason why the Raceland-Des Allemands segment of US 90 was added as Priority A is because all it needs is to eliminate the median crossovers, build the flyover U-turn structure to complete the LA 308 interchange, eliminate the LA 182 intersection east of Raceland, and buy out all the businesses fronting US 90 in that portion so that they can eliminate driveway access. The new plan is to truncate LA 182 at LA 1 at Raceland, redesignate LA 182 east of there as an extension of LA 307, and totally demolish the LA 182/US 90 intersection altogether.

It also reflects the major change in alignment for I-49 South going through Des Allemands. The original plan was to bypass Des Allemands to the south on new alignment going though Dufrene Ponds and the swampland south of there; now, the plan is to overlay existing US 90 through Des Allemands proper, improve the existing US 90 bridge across Bayou Des Allemands, and run on new alignment just south of existing US 90 from there. That segment is now listed as Priority C.

The Wax Lake section will still be funded under the current scenario as a Priority B megaproject.

The biggest jump that I notice is the movement of the Alexandria loop from Priority D to A.  Is this really warranted?  Of course, Alexandria and Pineville traffic could be better, but I think that all of the megaprojects listed for the other metro areas should take precedence over this one.  I also see that part of it is already funded, which is interesting.

That's probably the main reason why it was pushed forward...and also, since LA 28 has been widened on either side, it would fulfill the goal of a through bypass rather than going through the Pineville Expressway/Murray St./Gardner Highway route.

I see that DOTD is still set on widening I-10 between the splits, along with building the Baton Rouge bypass.  Both would certainly be nice, but probably impractical.  I like the idea of using Airline as a partial bypass, but I am not sure how the old bridge could feasibly be widened.

Probably more of a hedging of bets, since widening I-10 proper has faced considerable opposition from some neighborhoods, and the BTR North Bypass isn't necessarily a done deal, either...the BUMP proposal to upgrade Airline Highway to a tollway is a direct response to the controversy over how best to resolve the issue.

A widening of the old Mississippi River Bridge similar to what the Huey P. Long Bridge in NOLA got is quite doable, since the two bridges are similar with the rail line in the middle. An alternative would be to just place a new bridge on the side of the old for wheel-based through traffic, and keep the old bridge for local/rail use (or even upgrade for pedestrian/bike usage).

Finally, there are the Priority D "pipe dreams", which include some outright doozies:

Freewayizing US 165 between I-10 and I-20 through Alexandria,
Frewayizing US 190 from US 165 in Kinder to I-49 at Opelousas
(Personal beef: but NOT US 190 from Opelousas to Baton Rouge?? WTF, LADOTD??),

I agree that this is bizarre.  The upgrade of 190 from Opelousas to Baton Rouge was included in the previous STP.  Not only is it more necessary than the segment from Kinder to Opelousas, it is, as far as I can see, more feasible, considering that there would be fewer towns to bypass, and a bypass of Opelousas would not be necessary.  Of course, a new bridge over the Atchafalaya might be needed, along with a new bridge across the Morganza Spillway.  Either way, traffic certainly justifies upgrading east of Opelousas rather than west.

Yeah....I'm thinking that that is a typo on their part to ignore the Opelousas-Baton Rouge segment.

I'm not so sure of a freeway on the 190 corridor from Opelousas westward, since extending the 4-lane to Kinder/US 165 would probably do for now. Widening I-49 to 6 lanes between Lafayette and Opelousas should handle any surplus traffic using 190 as an I-10 accident detour. And, it would be no easy deal to build a freeway through Port Barre, Krotz Springs, Livonia, or Erwinville...let alone a bypass of Opelousas. Some access management, though, should be implemented on US 190 during reroutes.

Can someone remind me again what work remains to convert US 90 to freeway standards between LA 88 and the Wax Lake Outlet, other than construction of an interchange at LA 318?

Basically, other than the 318 interchange, only closing the median crossovers and local at-grade connections, completing the frontage roads between Darnell Road and LA 85, and between LA 85 and LA 668, and replacing the at-grade crossing with a grade-seperated overpass at the L&DRR railroad spur south of the LA 85 interchange that serves the sugar cane mill. There is also the Ricohoc intersection with the access road to LA 182 just west of Wax Lake....but that will be taken care of with the Wax Lake-Berwick segment (as well as a local frontage road bridge across Wax Lake to remove local traffic/farm equipment off of the US 90/I-49 South mainlines).

[Anthony_JK]

Have they got "mega funding" located? Most of these things should be considered more of a "wish list" than a plan. Nice to see the intercity BR-NOLA rail in the list, I wish it had higher priority though.

Well...the Priority A and Priority B projects are basically listed as first in line for funding as it becomes available. The Priority C projects are more future projects that might come on line if there is an unexpected burst in funds. The Priority D megaprojects are basically pipe dreams for wayyy in the future.

[mcdonaat]

So, to add my take on Central LA stuff...

The Alexandria Loop would probably use LA 3128's corridor from 28 to 107, then cut south of the IP property to dart across the river, but the only problem is trying to not mess up the US 71/I-49 junction south of town, while avoiding Inglewood Plantation, and at the same time, not building it too close to any other exit. I could see it coming north of LSUA, meeting with US 71, and darting between the country club and the town limits. On the other side of US 165, you have farmland, with basically nothing. In fact, to top it all off, I could see LA 1208-3's extension south to the loop... the whole reason Lodi Road exists (according to the Alexandria Master Transportation Plan, from the sixties, which is ALSO why Versailles was built).

Widening US 84 from Ferriday to LA 28 is all fine, but when you don't include widening LA 28 from Archie to Pineville in the same priority, you're not helping a whole lot. Also, you can't just leave a four-laned US 84 to meet with US 65/LA 15 in Ferriday at a red light; include a quicker alignment of US 84 on a diagonal to LA 3232 and you've effectively moved the traffic congestion to a path around town. Ferriday has nothing left for travelers, and the Sonic and KFC are aimed towards people coming from Vidalia to Winnsboro, or residents of Ferriday, not people just driving through.

Upgrade US 165 to freeway standards? Are you CRAZY? Many, many problems with that. First, if you build your Priority A Loop of Alexandria, you have easier access to I-49, this gives you a freeway already. Second, traffic using US 165 is not using it as a through route, but as a local road. US 71 Bypass is signed as this for a reason... MacArthur Drive is a local road, thru US 71 (and under the same idea, US 165) traffic is sent along I-49. Third, and finally, the most aggravating interchanges are actually fixed, except for Bayou Rapides Road. Jackson Street is an interchange, LA 1 is an interchange, 3rd Street is a soon-to-be interchange, and LA 28 West is a partial interchange, working very effectively. You would only be deleting a few crossovers, and the ones you do delete are going to be hell to actually get to if a freeway is done. As for the rest of US 165, you would have to bypass so many small towns, at a huge cost, since the ROW isn't going to be cheap. You would be bypassing Oberlin, Oakdale, Kinder, Glenmora, Forest Hill, Woodworth, Ball, Pollock, Olla, Grayson, Columbia, and Columbia Heights. Georgetown is basically bypassed FWIW.

As for projects not on the list... where is Priority B, at least, of widening LA 1 between Mansura and Alexandria? I know Mansura is getting a four-lane, but the heaviest traffic is between Marksville and Lower Third. In fact, I would even build an interchange between LA 3170 and LA 1, and widen LA 3170. But, if that loop is truly built, just four-lane the highway to the loop.

What else surprises me is that the I-69 portion 15 is listed as to construct a new four-lane freeway. If this were Florida or Texas, it would be a new six-lane freeway. The same with the LA 1 Connector (aka LA 415 South) being a four-lane connector... this state is too scared to build a new six-lane arterial highway, thinking it won't be used. Glad to see an eastern extension of the Bypass being proposed for Natchitoches... just sign the exit just south of LA 6 as going to Winnfield, and you'll see a brand-new, beautiful highway being used to connect to an even newer highway.

Just my two cents!

[Urban Prairie Schooner]

Comments on the projects:

- How necessary from a traffic standpoint is an east-west Alexandria bypass? And if it is an arterial, what is to prevent it from becoming another MacArthur Drive, or worse, an Airline Highway (wall-to-wall highway commercial strip)? For that matter, does Alexandria need a bypass of any sort?

- The only priority C/D projects I would deem absolutely necessary in the near term are I-49 south, widening of I-10 and 12, the Earhart Expressway connection to I-10 and Airline Highway, the BR bypass/new river bridge, the LA 1/415 connector, and the Lafayette bypass (why not make this a Texas-style feeder setup for the time being to accommodate a future limited-access facility?). In fact, I wonder why some of these are not considered higher priority. Limited funding, I guess.

[mcdonaat]

Comments on the projects:

- How necessary from a traffic standpoint is an east-west Alexandria bypass? And if it is an arterial, what is to prevent it from becoming another MacArthur Drive, or worse, an Airline Highway (wall-to-wall highway commercial strip)? For that matter, does Alexandria need a bypass of any sort?

- The only priority C/D projects I would deem absolutely necessary in the near term are I-49 south, widening of I-10 and 12, the Earhart Expressway connection to I-10 and Airline Highway, the BR bypass/new river bridge, the LA 1/415 connector, and the Lafayette bypass (why not make this a Texas-style feeder setup for the time being to accommodate a future limited-access facility?). In fact, I wonder why some of these are not considered higher priority. Limited funding, I guess.

The necessity of an east-west bypass of Alexandria is simple - LA 28 traffic is growing and growing. If you take a trip down LA 28 East in Pineville, you'll see that a ton of traffic uses the road, since it's really the only through east-west route. And a good chunk of that traffic is just trying to reach I-49, hence the signs on LA 28 are the only ones along the entire Pineville Expressway that have "TO I-49."

West of town, you have a ton of traffic coming and going to Gardner and Leesville from the Interstate, putting a slight strain on MacArthur Drive. It's a preventive measure, and the land is cheap now, so why not build it? You will take traffic coming from Opelousas and put them right in Deville/Libuse, without ever having to go through Pineville or Alexandria. You also, in case of a wreck, can put traffic on a bypass around town... ice storms might have prompted this, with I-49 traffic having to use MacArthur Drive and LA 1.

If it is an arterial, I would think that the ability to make it controlled access in the future will cut down on costs upfront. If you only intersect LA 488, US 165, I-49, and LA 107, in a very rural part of the parish, you won't have construction pop up too quickly. I think that the state will have enough ROW to create interchanges and maybe frontage roads.

As for the BR Bypass, I'm all for a southern loop of the city, but a northern loop isn't feasible. You have to send traffic too far north of the town, and I-10 angles southeast, so why not send the road that direction? You have chemical plants lining the river to the north, and to the south, it's more rural. I wonder how different Baton Rouge would be if the state moved I-10's designation to a southern bypass, and extended I-12's designation to the split on the western side of the river? I support I-49 South completely, but I'd rather see it done in small steps like it's being done now. Smaller projects over a few years might be cheaper for the state than one big project now, and it gives us something to post about!

[pctech]

A southern by-pass of Baton Rouge makes more sense to me also. It would likely have be built as a tolled freeway though to get it built any time soon.

[jbnv]

LA 3241 4-lane from I-12 to Bush in St. Tammany Parish

Bush is quite a ways from I-12. What is the route for this?

North-South Evacuation Connector for Houma/Thibodeaux area between LA 3217 and US 90/Future I-49 South, initial 2 lanes of ultimate 4-lane ROW

Did you typo this and actually mean LA 3127, a/k/a Veterans Memorial Bridge? That does make a lot of sense and will make it easier to get from Houma-Thibodaux to Baton Rouge.

... the Lafayette bypass (why not make this a Texas-style feeder setup for the time being to accommodate a future limited-access facility?)

This is Louisiana, we don't build our highways with such forethought like them Texans do.

[mcdonaat]

Is this north-south evacuation connector also going to involve sending traffic up LA 1 to Port Allen? I know that if you wanted to go to Lafayette you could use I-49 to connect to I-10, but it's something that just popped up into my head. Also, would this involve tying traffic into I-55, or send it along I-10 into the Baton Rouge Metro area? Serious questions!

Also, would anyone care to point me to some sort of plan for the Alexandria Bypass? Amazes me how there are segments, colored routes, and it's a Priority A, but it's the first I've ever heard of it. Ever.... well, the second, but the first was from the 60's.

[cenlaroads]

Is this north-south evacuation connector also going to involve sending traffic up LA 1 to Port Allen? I know that if you wanted to go to Lafayette you could use I-49 to connect to I-10, but it's something that just popped up into my head. Also, would this involve tying traffic into I-55, or send it along I-10 into the Baton Rouge Metro area? Serious questions!

Also, would anyone care to point me to some sort of plan for the Alexandria Bypass? Amazes me how there are segments, colored routes, and it's a Priority A, but it's the first I've ever heard of it. Ever.... well, the second, but the first was from the 60's.

The north-south evacuation corridor will be a four-lane road from US 90 near Houma (I am not sure where exactly) to LA 3127 at LA 3213, resulting in a continuous route from US 90 to I-10 using the new road, LA 3213, the Gramercy bridge, and LA 641.  As far as I understand the project, that is all that it involves.  There would be no direct connection to I-55.

Here is a website for the project:  http://www.north-southhurricanecorridor.com/

Concerning the Alexandria bypass, I have a copy of the Alexandria/Pineville Metropolitan Transportation Plan from 2005 that has a very basic map of the proposed loop, along with other projects, but it does not have labelled segments such as those referred to in the list of megaprojects.  I don't know of a more recent map or plan.


Update:

I just found this meeting summary at the LA DOTD website:

http://wwwsp.dotd.la.gov/Inside_LaDOTD/Divisions/Multimodal/Transportation_Plan/Round%20Two/01_Regional%20Planning%20Officials%20AC2%20Meeting%20Summary.pdf

In the discussion of Priority D Megaprojects on the last page, the proposal was made to split the Alexandria/Pineville Loop into separate sections and to move the highest priority project to Priority B (now A).  The reason given was that Alexandria did not have a project in Priority A or B.

So, it seems that the reason the Alexandria loop was put in Priority A was to give a Priority A project to every part of the state, whether justified or not.

[Anthony_JK]

LA 3241 4-lane from I-12 to Bush in St. Tammany Parish

Bush is quite a ways from I-12. What is the route for this?

The route is as mentioned: a new route through an abandoned rail corridor from I-12 to Bush that is designated by LADOTD as LA 3241. It would utilize LA 434 from its interchange with I-12 to an abandoned rail line, then travel north to connect with LA 21 at Bush. A PDF map of the proposed alignment is here: http://www.i12tobush.com/pdfs/map-alt-q.pdf

North-South Evacuation Connector for Houma/Thibodeaux area between LA 3217 and US 90/Future I-49 South, initial 2 lanes of ultimate 4-lane ROW

Did you typo this and actually mean LA 3127, a/k/a Veterans Memorial Bridge? That does make a lot of sense and will make it easier to get from Houma-Thibodaux to Baton Rouge.

Yes that was a typo....I did mean LA 3127.

... the Lafayette bypass (why not make this a Texas-style feeder setup for the time being to accommodate a future limited-access facility?)

This is Louisiana, we don't build our highways with such forethought like them Texans do.

Actually, the original plans for the Lafayette Metro Expressway did include frontage roads in the portions between US 167 and Verot School Road/LA 89. However, the LMX has been pushed back due to full concentration on getting I-49 South completed.

[jbnv]

Yes that was a typo....I did mean LA 3127.

And I brain-farted this slightly.  3127 isn't the Veterans Memorial Bridge, but the "bypass" of LA 18. What matters is that the evacuation corridor will connect to the Veterans Memorial Bridge.

Actually, the original plans for the Lafayette Metro Expressway did include frontage roads in the portions between US 167 and Verot School Road/LA 89.

I meant that sarcastically. I'll do cartwheels if LADOTD starts making Texas-style highways.

[mcdonaat]

Thanks for the insight! With an eastern Natchitoches Bypass being talked about, anyone have an idea on if the bypass would go across the river to connect with the Campti Highway, or would it stay on the western side of the river and connect with Texas St (alignment of LA 6)?

The Alexandria Loop seems like a good idea, since LA 28 is being clogged way too quickly by through traffic. Maybe someone can talk to LaDOTD to get an idea of where the loop is being planned to run, as in, how far north of Alex-Pineville. It might have changed since 2005.

[Urban Prairie Schooner]

The route is as mentioned: a new route through an abandoned rail corridor from I-12 to Bush that is designated by LADOTD as LA 3241. It would utilize LA 434 from its interchange with I-12 to an abandoned rail line, then travel north to connect with LA 21 at Bush. A PDF map of the proposed alignment is here: http://www.i12tobush.com/pdfs/map-alt-q.pdf

That's changed - last proposal I saw for 3241 was extending off of the LA 1088 interchange and continuing diagonally in the same general direction as LA 21.

[cenlaroads]

Thanks for the insight! With an eastern Natchitoches Bypass being talked about, anyone have an idea on if the bypass would go across the river to connect with the Campti Highway, or would it stay on the western side of the river and connect with Texas St (alignment of LA 6)?

I imagine that it would stay on the west side of the river, and run from LA 1 south of town to LA 6 on the north side.  I don't think there is enough traffic to justify two river crossings in that area.

[jbnv]

Natchitoches needs an eastern bypass? #newstome

[nexus73]

Too bad there isn't a focus on completely finishing I-49 ASAP.  The bits and pieces approach means this will drag on and on and on and on.  In the meantime the hurricanes will come and one route out will be suboptimal.  A chain is only as good as it's weakest link.  I've seen I-55 backed up 100 miles as people were coming back from Hurricane Georges on the second day of returning to NOLA.  At least that is a completed freeway!  If the hurricane forces people out along what should be a finished I-49, they will sure be glad that it is finished.  Time waits for no man or storm.

I-12 should be at a minimum 6-laned for it's entire length.  BR is a metro area and the North Shore is heavily settled.  Then to that add in the cross-country truck traffic. 

Rick

[mcdonaat]

Natchitoches needs an eastern bypass? #newstome

needs? If you notice the truck traffic taking LA 6, you'll see a need. Its meant to divert traffic taking La 1/6 around Natchitoches rather than along Texas Street. Plus, you have 2/3 of one built... LA 6 to La 1, then south along the bypass to the current end.

[pctech]

Widening I-10 from 110/10 to 10/12 in Baton Rouge is not likely to happen, even if the financing appears. There is too much opposition in the affected area. When the freeway was built in the 1960's the state didn't obtain enough right of way for expansion. A better plan might be to bring Airline highway (US. 61/190) up to freeway standards from the old Miss. river bridge to the EBR./Ascension Parish  area.