I49 in LA

[MSU John]

Just curious, will LaDOTD be opening specific I-49 North segments to traffic as they're completed? Or will they be opening segments A-I all at once?

I haven't read anything to indicate which option they'll choose...but I do know it would be nice to have some completed segments open as relief. Those 35mph and 45mph stretches through Ida, Mira and Hosston seem to take forever when you get behind the wrong person.

[Grzrd]

Just curious, will LaDOTD be opening specific I-49 North segments to traffic as they're completed? Or will they be opening segments A-I all at once?

Segments B-I will have a joint grand opening at some point in time from late summer to early winter (Segment A ends at the AR state line and will not open until Arkansas completes its section to the state line, currently projected to be in 2015).  Segments J and K are scheduled to open in 2016.

[Grzrd]

After noticing that the LA 168 in Caddo Parish project has been moved back to August 28, I emailed LaDOTD and asked if the delay indicated a later opening for I-49 North.  Their answer indicates that they are still looking at a "late summer to early fall" opening:

Approximately five miles remain to be constructed of the new 36-mile interstate system north of Shreveport to the Arkansas border.  DOTD anticipates opening 31 miles of I-49, between La. 1 to U.S. 71, by late summer to early fall of 2013.

LaDOTD has updated its I-49 North page, which includes an update of an I-49 North map.  The map has the estimated competion dates for Segments E,F,G and I to be Summer 2013 (the page has the completion date for Segment H to be Fall 2013 and the map has the Segment H completion date as Fall 2012; IIRC the map has the correct date).

Segments B-I will have a joint grand opening at some point in time from late summer to early winter

The tentative letting date for the LA 168 in Caddo Parish project has once again been pushed back, this time from August 28 to December 11. I keep hoping that there is no connection between the timing of the LA 168 project and the opening for Segments B-I, but it sure seems like it would be nice to have the LA 168 project completed before it carries the temporary traffic from US 71 to I-49.

[Grzrd]

Turns out that one of the senators who dropped the block on Teche Ridge happend to by my own rep, Elbert Guillory.

"For us to start over again would set the project back at least 10 years and throw away the millions of dollars that have been spent. ... That doesn't make sense to me,"  said state Sen. Elbert Guillory, D-Opelousas, one of the 15 senators who objected to the Teche Ridge study.

Maybe Elbert's next move might be to have Opelousas and central/southern St. Landry Parish incorporated into the Greater Acadiana MPO.  If New Iberia and St. Martinville/Breaux Bridge can be appended into the Lafayette MPO, then why not the second largest city in the Acadiana region?

LOL at the "communist" smack, because one of the Senators who opposed Rep. Landry's bill was Elbert Guillory...who just switched over to the Republican Party.

Elbert Guillory's Why I am a Republican video is garnering a lot of attention on the national stage ...................................... no mention of the I-49 Connector or Teche Ridge in it, though. He does mention Eisenhower, but not in the context of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways.

Anything unusual about the water in Opelousas?

[Anthony_JK]

Ahhh....nope....our water isn't flouridated; it's processed like every other city down here. Elbert's just his own Tea Party whack.

I don't think his...ummmm, unique brand of politics had much to do with his rejection of Teche Ridge, however...common sense crosses party lines.

[Grzrd]

According to the I-49 South Coalition website, the Lafayette Economic Development Authority recently released a report entitled, Interstate 49 South - America's Energy Corridor. The report essentially tries to make the case that US 90 from Lafayette to the Westbank Expressway is nationally important because it is one of the top industrial corridors in the country, which in turn justifies an upgrade to I-49 South.

[Anthony_JK]

In addition to what Grzz posted, there is this article from St.MaryNow.com website about how some local leaders are not to happy with some of the changes done to the Wax Lake to Berwick segment of I-49 South that would upgrade US 90 in Patterson/Bayou Vista and Berwick.

Jones: I-49 South plan needs tweaking


PATTERSON, La. -- Parish officials were briefed on a study and tentative proposals regarding the I-49 South extension made by the Department of Transportation and Development Thursday evening at the Patterson Area Civic Center.

While details of the study have not been publicly released, State Rep. Sam Jones, D-Franklin, said there are several modification and changes he will insist be made because they do not meet the needs of the communities.

Jones said the study calls for an interchange on the interstate at Catherine Street in Patterson.

"The city, the people and the economics"  call for that interchange to be at Red Cypress instead, he said.

"We will have it at Red Cypress,"  Jones said unequivocally.

Patterson Mayor Rodney Grogan said he wants the interstate to be done in the best interests of Patterson.

"DOTD is listening to us on our issues,"  Grogan said. He said he expects Jones and Sen. Bret Allain, R-Franklin, will advocate for the city and its interest.

Jones also said he wants a frontage road from Berwick to Bayou Vista on property that is already purchased for the highway. There are wetland preservation issues that will need to be addressed but Jones does not expect that to be an insurmountable obstacle.

As the region has clamored for U.S. 90 to be raised to interstate system standards, the cry has often been that this is a safety issue. Jones said that too many motor vehicle collisions occur in Patterson and that things can be done quickly to alleviate some of that danger. He said that even before an interstate system is completed, he will fight for funding to build J-turns on the highway in Patterson and Berwick.

Berwick Mayor Louis Ratcliff said this morning that the information that he received was "good"  and that he has "a good feeling we are moving in a positive direction."

St. Mary Parish was the last of four parishes that have been briefed on the study, according to Michael Tamperello, point man for the I-49 South Coalition. Jefferson, Lafourche and St. Charles parishes had already been briefed.

The concept of the study has been to try to find the most efficient way to meet the goal of bringing I-49 South from Lafayette to New Orleans in a way that addressees the circumstances and needs of the communities through which it passes.

"We are very happy with the direction the highway department is going to try to cut costs,"  Allain said this morning. "There is no question the plan will need plenty more local input."

Allain said he wants to be able to discuss these issues with local elected officials and determine the priorities of the communities and then to "speak with one voice"  in their conversations with the state.

"I want to work with all the concerns and do what best suits the needs of the parish and the state,"  Allain said.

Jones also said that it was important that a final plan have a full interchange in Bayou Vista at Southeast Boulevard.

The plan presented to the group Thursday has an overpass in Berwick at the intersection of South and Thorguson roads, according to Jones. He said the interstate needs to have an interchange there and not an overpass.

Tamperello said the purpose of the meeting Thursday was to hear and respond to any suggestions that local elected officials make to state engineers. He said the highway department will take the input of officials from the four parish meetings that it has held into consideration and bring back an adjusted study for consideration in about a month.

"DOTD has said from the beginning that this study is a recommendation and not an end all,"  Tamperello said this morning as he gave a brief outline of the meeting. "This is a first step and not a last step."

He said that the relationships the commission has developed with the highway department and the study engineers have been positive ones.

"They have heard what we want,"  Tamperello said. "Clearly, they are going to work with us."

Tamperello said that they will discuss more of these issues in detail and publicly when a final study is presented by the highway department.

Personally, I thought that the original plan that was approved in the ROD back in 2005 was pretty darn good as is, and should not have been truncated. That plan would have included interchanges at Red Cypress Road and Catherine/Lipari Streets in Patterson; Southeast Boulevard in Bayou Vista, and Thurgouson/Berwick South Rds in Berwick; and would have also included an elevated section near the "Atchafalaya Meander" where the one-way local access frontage road system would be transformed into an urban boulevard that would have been seperated from the BNSF railroad ROW by the elevated freeway.

This new plan would eliminate most of the interchanges and much of the elevated roadway, as a means of reducing the cost; but apparently it would do so at the expense of access. At least they are listening to the community, and the leaders there are commited to reaching a consensus on a final plan that would benefit everyone.

[Grzrd]

The tentative letting date for the LA 168 in Caddo Parish project has once again been pushed back, this time from August 28 to December 11. I keep hoping that there is no connection between the timing of the LA 168 project and the opening for Segments B-I, but it sure seems like it would be nice to have the LA 168 project completed before it carries the temporary traffic from US 71 to I-49.

Without indicating a projected date for the I-49 North opening, LaDOTD recently provided me with email assurance that the letting date for the LA 168 project will not impact the I-49 North opening date:

The letting date for La. 168 will not affect the opening of the segments of I-49.

[Grzrd]

Without indicating a projected date for the I-49 North opening, LaDOTD recently provided me with email assurance that the letting date for the LA 168 project will not impact the I-49 North opening date:

The letting date for La. 168 will not affect the opening of the segments of I-49.

I just received an email clarification from LaDOTD: LaDOTD does not intend to carry I-49 through traffic on LA 168; Segments B-D will only be open to local traffic until Arkansas opens their section to the state line:

To clarify, I-49 north from LA 168 to US 71 south of Hosston will only be open to local traffic until I-49 in Arkansas is complete.  Motorists getting on between these termini on the southbound lane will be able to continue south to LA 1 north of Shreveport. All Northbound I-49 traffic will exit at US 71 south of Hosston and have to continue on US 71 to Arkansas.

The Segments B-D local traffic section can be seen in this snip from LaDOTD's I-49 North map:



Let's hope that AHTD completes their paving project on schedule!

[Grzrd]

Personally, I thought that the original plan that was approved in the ROD back in 2005 was pretty darn good as is, and should not have been truncated. That plan would have included interchanges at Red Cypress Road and Catherine/Lipari Streets in Patterson; Southeast Boulevard in Bayou Vista, and Thurgouson/Berwick South Rds in Berwick; and would have also included an elevated section near the "Atchafalaya Meander" where the one-way local access frontage road system would be transformed into an urban boulevard that would have been seperated from the BNSF railroad ROW by the elevated freeway.

This new plan would eliminate most of the interchanges and much of the elevated roadway, as a means of reducing the cost; but apparently it would do so at the expense of access. At least they are listening to the community, and the leaders there are commited to reaching a consensus on a final plan that would benefit everyone.

St. Mary Parish legislators Senator Allain and Rep. Jones have sent a follow-up letter to LaDOTD that not only expresses overall approval by St. Mary Parish officials of the cost reductions for Section 3 of I-49 South, but also includes an attached list of recommendations for further review of the freeway portion of the US 90 upgrade:



It's a process ..............

[Grzrd]

This July 24 article reports on a current long-term I-49 South project in Iberia Parish and intermediate J-Turn safety solutions in St. Martin Parish.

I-49 South in Iberia Parish:

Deidra Druilhet, public information officer for DOTD's Lafayette office ....   
DOTD, however, currently is working on a portion of the I-49 South project by constructing three miles of frontage roads along U.S. 90 in Iberia Parish, Druilhet said.
Druilhet said the $5.8 million project, which began in August 2012 will create frontage roads along U.S. 90 from John Darnall Road to Louisiana 85.
As of Tuesday, no miles of the project have been fully complete, Druilhet said. However, 100 percent of the first layer, called the subgrade, has been completed, she said. This layer consists of 12 inches of soil mixed with cement and/or lime.
Seventy-five percent of the next layer, the base course, has been completed, she said. This layer is 8.5 inches of soil hauled on top of the subgrade and blended with cement, which is a good foundation for asphalt, Druilhet said.
Two layers of asphalt are then placed and compacted, completing the typical section of the frontage road, which is 50 percent complete, she said.
That project, which also is expected to be complete this fall, is in the allotted contract time of 200 days, she said, because the contractor is not charged for weekends, holidays or adverse weather days.
The contractor currently is wrapping up work on the remaining pipe and drainage structures, Druilhet said ....

J-Turns in St. Martin Parish (including an implied concern that installation of the J-Turns may slow progress on I-49 South):

Commuters traveling along U.S. 90 in St. Martin Parish can expect lane closures and delays for the rest of the week as the state Department of Transportation and Development continues construction on a $4.8 million safety project to install J-turns.
The lane closures will take place between Louisiana 92 and Ambassador Caffery Parkway .... J-turns will be installed along U.S. 90 from the Billeaud overpass to Wall Road as part of the project .... 
Of the 17 proposed J-turns, none are complete, Druilhet said. She said the roadway portions of two J-turns have been poured, but the islands have not been constructed. Drainage work has begun on some of the remaining J-turns, she said .... However, the project is expected to be complete this fall ....
Mike Tarantino, president and CEO of the Iberia Industrial Development Foundation, said J-turns are a benefit to the highway because they make highway traffic safer in congested areas, but it will be "interesting"  to see how the J-turns affect the completion of the I-49 South project.
The department currently is exploring various avenues to secure funding for the I-49 South project, Druilhet said, but until funding can be secured the J-turns will immediately address safety challenges along the corridor.

The documents section of the ICC website now has letters from both Rep. Burrell and Loop It stating their cases and complaining about the treatment, along with LADOTD's response to those letters. (Scroll to the bottom of the page for the links.)

In Representative Burrell's January 9 letter, he links the Shreveport Housing Authority with Loop It, LLC "as steering neighborhood residents against the potential building of the ICIC* project".  Now, I understand why the Housing Authority is pushing the new housing project so hard before the ICC study is completed.
Also, Rep. Burrell's letter identifies local architect Kim Mitchell as assisting in the formation of Loop It, LLC. Mitchell is interviewed in both of the above-linked videos about the Shreveport Housing Authority housing project ....
edit * "ICIC" is the acronym for "Inner City I-49 Connector".

Well, here's a fine kettle of fish...
Shreveport Times: "Residents question rebuilding housing complex in potential path of Interstate (49) expansion":
http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20130728/SPECIALPROJECTS01/307280023/Residents-question-rebuilding-housing-complex-potential-path-interstate-expansion

(above quote from I-69 in LA (and LA 3132/Shreveport Inner Loop Extension) thread)

The above-linked article shows that the delay caused by Loop It, Mitchell et al is allowing the Housing Authority to proceed with the housing project:

The MPC also had concerns the initial phase of "warehouse-style"  housing was not compliant with the Shreveport-Caddo Master Plan, said MPC member Dale Colvin, adding its proximity to a possible inner-city connector path was not brought up. Council minutes, likewise, show it was not discussed prior to the June 11 council vote.
Regardless if location concerns were raised, Colvin said entities such as the MPC cannot say no to a development project for that reason without a state project having reached the phase in the highway planning process that allows right of way to be bought.
The inner-city connector project was estimated to reach that point this year. However, a local citizens group filed a formal complaint on the community input process and another round of meetings must be held before a final route is selected, said Chris Petro, transportation planning manager for the Northwest Louisiana Council of Governments.

Five more meetings are anticipated to be held this fall:

The Federal Highway Administration requires NLCOG — through Providence Engineering — to perform another round of five meetings to gather public input on the inner loop alternative.
Petro said dates have not been set but he anticipates the meetings will be held this fall.

It will be interesting to see if Loop It, Mitchell and the Housing Authority will be able to increase opposition to the Inner City Connector by the fall meetings.

[ethanhopkin14]

To take a left turn here on this forum, what is the plan for the Texas segment if I-49?

[Grzrd]

This July 24 article reports on ... intermediate J-Turn safety solutions in St. Martin Parish.

To take a left turn here on this forum, what is the plan for the Texas segment if I-49?

A response to your question has been posted in another thread.  However, in regard to taking a left turn on US 90/Future I-49 in Louisiana, this July 31 TV video report, primarily about business and political leaders brainstorming about I-49 South, has footage of a US 90 J-Turn sign:

[bassoon1986]

I saw state named I-49 shields in downtown Alexandria over the weekend, but it was dark and all I had was a cell phone deep in a pocket. I'm pretty sure my jaw hit the floor when I saw them. I'll be scouring the area this week to take pictures and look for more nearby

[bassoon1986]

These are all approaching I-49 in Alexandria on Jackson St/Business US 165:


Jackson St (Bus US 165) @ I-49 by GeoJosh, on Flickr


Bus 165 SB @ I-49 by GeoJosh, on Flickr


Bus US 165 NB @ I-49 by GeoJosh, on Flickr

[agentsteel53]

excellent!  looks like the first state-named batches are coming out.

[rte66man]

What is that crappy font on the US167 shield?

rte66man

[txstateends]

What is that crappy font on the US167 shield?

rte66man

Unfortunately, this isn't the only case of 'crappy font' in LA on their US shields.  Why they can't seem to find the font that most other states use (and send this one to the dumpster), I'll never know.  They seem to be doing all right with at least some of their US 90 shields (including the one above shown in that J-turn sign)--those don't give me the eye-reaction that the US 167 one does....

As for the question, I've not heard a font name for the 'crappy font', but I wouldn't think it would be one of the FHWA ones unless it's an only-in-LA variant.

[agentsteel53]

that's bog-standard Series B.

it looks better when the digits are a bit closer, and fill out the shield more nicely. 




helps to use a '61 spec shield.  your question shouldn't be "what is that crappy font?", but rather "what is that crappy shield shape?"

[Gordon]

This article was back in June, but still have not seen anything on maybe doing either project on LATD yet. Ambassador Cafferty Interchange or Rail Road overpass. I guess federal money is the hold up.        http://www.klfy.com/story/22649130/task-force-discusses-progress-on-i-49-south-project

[Anthony_JK]

This article was back in June, but still have not seen anything on maybe doing either project on LATD yet. Ambassador Cafferty Interchange or Rail Road overpass. I guess federal money is the hold up.        http://www.klfy.com/story/22649130/task-force-discusses-progress-on-i-49-south-project

The Ambassador Caffery interchange project on US 90 is awaiting an Environmental Assessment and review, and will be constructed along with the segment from Albertson Parkway to just N of the Amb. Caffery intersection. The latter is currently awaiting final design as part of a Design/Build project; LADOTD is currently reviewing requests for contractors for that segment.

The LDRR overpass just E of LA 85 should be next in the funding queue, right after the frontage roads between LA 85 and John Darnell Road are completed.

AFAIK, both projects are fully funded through mostly state funds.

[Grzrd]

St. Mary Parish legislators Senator Allain and Rep. Jones have sent a follow-up letter to LaDOTD that not only expresses overall approval by St. Mary Parish officials of the cost reductions for Section 3 of I-49 South, but also includes an attached list of recommendations for further review .... It's a process ..............

The I-49 South Coalition has posted LaDOTD's response to the letter, in which LaDOTD provides a positive response to many of the suggestions.  The process leading to progress .........

[O Tamandua]

Grzrd, or anyone...any idea how I-49 from just above SHV to the Arkansas line is progressing (per the "finished in late summer 2013" estimates)?  Sorry, just curious. 

[Grzrd]

I just received an email clarification from LaDOTD: LaDOTD does not intend to carry I-49 through traffic on LA 168; Segments B-D will only be open to local traffic until Arkansas opens their section to the state line

any idea how I-49 from just above SHV to the Arkansas line is progressing (per the "finished in late summer 2013" estimates)?

A recent email to me from LaDOTD states that LaDOTD is currently unofficially anticipating a mid-November opening for Segments A-I.

[Scott5114]

I just received an email clarification from LaDOTD: LaDOTD does not intend to carry I-49 through traffic on LA 168; Segments B-D will only be open to local traffic until Arkansas opens their section to the state line

any idea how I-49 from just above SHV to the Arkansas line is progressing (per the "finished in late summer 2013" estimates)?

A recent email to me from LaDOTD states that LaDOTD is currently unofficially anticipating a mid-November opening for Segments A-I.

Any word on if this will carry a temporary designation or I-49?