US 190

[texaskdog]

Does anyone else here hate this road?  It's often duplexed and looking at the map, doesn't seem to serve much of any purpose.  Rather than head East out of BCS it goes NE, a route that makes no sense.

[US71]

Does anyone else here hate this road?  It's often duplexed and looking at the map, doesn't seem to serve much of any purpose.  Rather than head East out of BCS it goes NE, a route that makes no sense.

It's NOT for anyone in a hurry. Used to be a couple cool bridges near Baton Rouge, but they're gone now .

[Urban Prairie Schooner]

US 190 was more useful in the pre-interstate era. Before I-10, US 190 was a useful supplement to US 90 in the general corridor. 190 (alone with LA/TX 12) was the preferred route to Texas from Baton Rouge and points east (Northshore, coastal MS/AL/FL, etc.) while US 90 served that role for New Orleans and the other medium sized cities along its route. This allowed two routes to divide up and serve the east-west traffic flows in the southern part of the state.

190 is still useful as a shortcut between BR and Alexandria via Opelousas. The driving time via US 190 is around the same as via I-10 and I-49 through Lafayette.

I admit, the route of 190 in Texas strikes me as somewhat indirect and/or redundant. At least it serves Killeen-Temple and Bryan-College Station.

There are still some neat old bridges in the BR area along 190: the 1940 Scenic Highway overpass, the 1940 Miss. River bridge, and the LA 415 overpass. I presume you are referring to the Amite River bridges which did meet their maker in 2008 or so.

[NE2]

US 190 was probably the best route across that part of Texas at that time, but construction since then has created several cutoffs, including Temple-Hearne and College Station-Huntsville. Merryville-Longville is total BS, but again was the only paved route back then. Interestingly, the pre-US 190 federal aid route went DeRidder-Oberlin-Elton.

[US71]

US 190 was probably the best route across that part of Texas at that time, but construction since then has created several cutoffs, including Temple-Hearne and College Station-Huntsville. Merryville-Longville is total BS, but again was the only paved route back then. Interestingly, the pre-US 190 federal aid route went DeRidder-Oberlin-Elton.

East of Jasper going towards Louisiana, it's sort of a joke now: it goes way south, then north, then south again. You wind up on the longitude, about 30 miles south of Jasper, but you've actually driven almost twice as far. I drove it about 3 years ago from Woodville: long, boring, and somewhat tedious.

[longhorn]

190 from Copperas Cove to Belton Tx at times carries more traffic than I-35 per TxDot.

[Molandfreak]

I don't hate U.S. 190. It still serves many important regional purposes. There are many U.S. routes I would decommission before it.

[mcdonaat]

US 190 serves as a very important cutoff route between Opelousas and Baton Rouge, which is the only reason I'd keep it as a federal route. Not only is it an alternate route of I-10, but with the road being 55 MPH and having the same driving time as I-10, you can do what has been done between the LA 1 New Roads exit and LA 415 to the entire route, and bump it up to 65 MPH.

The road does need some resurfacing, but just because a route has been superceded by an Interstate does not mean we should just delete it. It serves as the road connecting multiple parish seats (Livingston, Baton Rouge, Opelousas, Eunice, Deridder), and is a very scenic road when traffic is light.

Old bridges, by the way, still exist along the old road between US 71 and Lottie.

[longhorn]

US 190 serves as a very important cutoff route between Opelousas and Baton Rouge, which is the only reason I'd keep it as a federal route. Not only is it an alternate route of I-10, but with the road being 55 MPH and having the same driving time as I-10, you can do what has been done between the LA 1 New Roads exit and LA 415 to the entire route, and bump it up to 65 MPH.

The road does need some resurfacing, but just because a route has been superceded by an Interstate does not mean we should just delete it. It serves as the road connecting multiple parish seats (Livingston, Baton Rouge, Opelousas, Eunice, Deridder), and is a very scenic road when traffic is light.

Old bridges, by the way, still exist along the old road between US 71 and Lottie.

I take many here have not been on I-10 when its closed at Lafayette heading east due to an accident on Atchafalaya 17 mile bridge. That's when one appreciates 190 being the alternative route.

[Urban Prairie Schooner]

US 190 serves as a very important cutoff route between Opelousas and Baton Rouge, which is the only reason I'd keep it as a federal route. Not only is it an alternate route of I-10, but with the road being 55 MPH and having the same driving time as I-10, you can do what has been done between the LA 1 New Roads exit and LA 415 to the entire route, and bump it up to 65 MPH.

The road does need some resurfacing, but just because a route has been superceded by an Interstate does not mean we should just delete it. It serves as the road connecting multiple parish seats (Livingston, Baton Rouge, Opelousas, Eunice, Deridder), and is a very scenic road when traffic is light.

Old bridges, by the way, still exist along the old road between US 71 and Lottie.

I take many here have not been on I-10 when its closed at Lafayette heading east due to an accident on Atchafalaya 17 mile bridge. That's when one appreciates 190 being the alternative route.

It is signed as Alternate I-10, so LADOTD concurs.

[jbnv]

I fail to see the logic of US 190 with my 21st century eyes. Were it my design, US 88 would be what we know as US 290, TX 12, LA 12, and US 190 from US 171 east. Even having the same route numbered 190 would make sense. The rest of 190 in Texas and Louisiana would be... something else. Perhaps US 86, which could have also gone through Leesville and Alexandria to Natchez.

In my reorganization proposal, 190 becomes LA 12 from US 171 to US 61, LA 36 from Baton Rouge to Covington, LA 25 from Covington to Mandeville, and LA 22 from Mandeville east. Texas can probably retire most or all of 190 east of Temple. I'm actually familiar with that area, as my daughter lived in Killeen until recently.

[mcdonaat]

I fail to see the logic of US 190 with my 21st century eyes. Were it my design, US 88 would be what we know as US 290, TX 12, LA 12, and US 190 from US 171 east. Even having the same route numbered 190 would make sense. The rest of 190 in Texas and Louisiana would be... something else. Perhaps US 86, which could have also gone through Leesville and Alexandria to Natchez.

In my reorganization proposal, 190 becomes LA 12 from US 171 to US 61, LA 36 from Baton Rouge to Covington, LA 25 from Covington to Mandeville, and LA 22 from Mandeville east. Texas can probably retire most or all of 190 east of Temple. I'm actually familiar with that area, as my daughter lived in Killeen until recently.

Were it my design, US 71 would take over 190 from Krotz Springs to Baton Rouge. Assign the highway a state number from BR to Mandeville, and LA 22 east to meet 90. From Texas to Krotz Springs, use the US 88 number. We cannot allow US 71 to end at a state highway!

Nexus 7

[jbnv]

We cannot allow US 71 to end at a state highway!

That is a good point, and I'm going to modify my proposal to account for that.

Were it my design, US 71 would take over 190 from Krotz Springs to Baton Rouge. ... From Texas to Krotz Springs, use the US 88 number.

I don't see much possibility of US 88 ever getting assigned to all of US 190. If 88 replaces an existing highway, it will probably replace 290 from Austin to Houston, and that may become a second I-12 before it becomes US 88. I think we can still make the case for making the 290-southern 190 corridor into 88, but not if Louisiana truncates 190. I'm filing that one as a "should-have-been/don't-count-on-it."

[texaskdog]

I'm going to start writing letters.  Where should I start?

[NE2]

I'm going to start writing letters.  Where should I start?

Art Bell.

[texaskdog]

I'm going to start writing letters.  Where should I start?

Art Bell.

Is he on again?

[mcdonaat]

I'm going to start writing letters.  Where should I start?

Louisiana DOTD, I guess. Louisiana isn't very keen on truncations of routes, though, and has never truncated a US highway only to replace it with state routes. Yes, I said never! We have replaced US with US, but all of our routes have been extended, never truncated. The only exception would be US 171 shortened in length at the bottom...but that's about a half mile.

[bassoon1986]

I'm going to start writing letters.  Where should I start?

Louisiana DOTD, I guess. Louisiana isn't very keen on truncations of routes, though, and has never truncated a US highway only to replace it with state routes. Yes, I said never! We have replaced US with US, but all of our routes have been extended, never truncated. The only exception would be US 171 shortened in length at the bottom...but that's about a half mile.

Well, almost no US routes truncated. 71 moved back from Baton Rouge to Krotz Springs, and 11, 51, & 65 moved away from New Orleans. But those were all long concurrencies.

Oh wait, 65 is probably the only other truncation. 16 miles lost in LA back to Clayton.

[longhorn]

The state has big plans for 190.

http://ftp.dot.state.tx.us/pub/txdot-info/tpp/us_190/handout_092611.pdf

[jbnv]

The state has big plans for 190.
http://ftp.dot.state.tx.us/pub/txdot-info/tpp/us_190/handout_092611.pdf

I can't help but wonder why they would even bother considering upgrading US 190 east of Jasper instead of TX 63. By using TX 63, they can work with Louisiana and add Fort Polk to the "forts to ports" concept. Also, it could connect to the established LA 28 route to Alexandria and Natchez. Perhaps Texas and Louisiana could get the corridor a promotion to US 88. But upgrade 190 east of Jasper and we get... what sort of benefit?

[mcdonaat]

I'm going to start writing letters.  Where should I start?

Louisiana DOTD, I guess. Louisiana isn't very keen on truncations of routes, though, and has never truncated a US highway only to replace it with state routes. Yes, I said never! We have replaced US with US, but all of our routes have been extended, never truncated. The only exception would be US 171 shortened in length at the bottom...but that's about a half mile.

Well, almost no US routes truncated. 71 moved back from Baton Rouge to Krotz Springs, and 11, 51, & 65 moved away from New Orleans. But those were all long concurrencies.

Oh wait, 65 is probably the only other truncation. 16 miles lost in LA back to Clayton.

In a way, though, you replaced 71 with 190 for the truncated route, replaced 65 with 425, and replaced 11, 51, and 65 with 90, 61, and 61, respectively.

Nexus 7

[jbnv]

In a way, though, you replaced 71 with 190 for the truncated route, replaced 65 with 425, and replaced 11, 51, and 65 with 90, 61, and 61, respectively.

That's more "elimination of concurrency" than "replacement."

[mcdonaat]

In a way, though, you replaced 71 with 190 for the truncated route, replaced 65 with 425, and replaced 11, 51, and 65 with 90, 61, and 61, respectively.

That's more "elimination of concurrency" than "replacement."

Would elimination of concurrency count as a truncation? You still have a US route on the same alignment, just a different number. US 80 was replaced by state highways in Texas, which is my biggest gripe of a truncation.

Nexus 7