Western Louisiana

[The Ghostbuster]

If it is tolled, I hope the money is used entirely for the upkeep of the bridge, and not diverted to other uses.

[bwana39]

Looks like the Louisiana leaders are talking about tolling the I-10 Mississippi River bridge in Baton Rouge...

This seems a little out of Sync with the reality and even what the video said.

Yes, Louisiana intends to toll the replacement I-10 bridge in Lake Charles.
Yes, Alabama intends to Toll the I-10 (BYWAY) bridge in Mobile.

Louisiana does not have a serious proposal to replace the current I-10 bridge at Baton Rouge. Right now the focus appears to be a bridge southeast of Baton Rouge.

There is a new bridge on LA-1 over the intercoastal waterway that is tied very closely to I-10 as there are no exits on LA-1 between I-10 and the south bank of the canal. It will be tolled.

None of the pictures in this video were of any Baton Rouge Bridge.

Here is a more in-depth discussion of bridges over the Mississippi River in Baton Rouge

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=31267.100

[Anthony_JK]

Are you sure?? Because if you are talking about the LA 1 bridge replacement over the Intercoastal Waterway just south of the I-10/LA 1 interchange in Port Allen, that one is NOT tolled. There is a tolled high rise bridge that was built for LA 1 south of Golden Meadow going to Port Fourchon/Grand Isle.

The proposed new Mississippi River Bridge crossing south of Baton Rouge is tenatively planned to be placed just south of Plaquemine, but even that is now being questioned by locals as it would pass through some very sensitive wetland territory. I still think that a better location would be just east of Addis myself.

The existing I-10 bridge crossing the Mississippi is not tolled, and not planned for tolling any time in the future.

However, there is word afoot of a major shakeup of LaDOTD, with some legislators calling for breaking off of DOTD a new highway/roads department for non-NHS/FAP roads that would be privatized, and some limited talk of tolling all Interstates in order to fund new megaprojects (like I-49 South/I-49 Lafayette Connector, the new Mississippi River bridge south of BR; I-69; I-49 Shreveport Connector).

[Anthony_JK]

Meanwhile.....this looks more like a local replacement of a old bridge, but could it be a prelude to widening I-10 between there and the I-10/I-49 interchange in Lafayette to 3x3??

https://wwwapps.dotd.la.gov/administration/announcements/Announcement.aspx?key=38292#gsc.tab=0 

I-10 west of US 165 to the I-210 (East) interchange is already 3x3; and widening westward from there through Lake Charles is planned in conjunction with the Calcasieu River Bridge replacement project.

[Urban Prairie Schooner]

Looks like there was a route swap in Lafayette earlier this year. The result is that US 167 now follows Ambassador Caffery to reach I-10 instead of College Rd/Bertrand Drive. (Logic wins for once!) This segment was traded for Johnston Street between Amb. Caffery and College Rd., along with LA 3025 Spur.

https://www.theadvocate.com/acadiana/news/lafayette-road-swap-okd-johnston-taxing-district-proposed/article_a1e8eb38-fdab-4b29-8168-91107e2a714c.html

[Great Lakes Roads]

https://www.kalb.com/2026/03/27/pineville-expressway-could-see-speed-limit-increase-60-mph/

TLDR- The speed limit on the Pineville Expressway could go up from 50 mph to 60 mph, under a current LaDOTD study on changing speed limits on several roadways.

[cenlaroads]

https://www.kalb.com/2026/03/27/pineville-expressway-could-see-speed-limit-increase-60-mph/

TLDR- The speed limit on the Pineville Expressway could go up from 50 mph to 60 mph, under a current LaDOTD study on changing speed limits on several roadways.

Finally.  When I used to drive it regularly, it was always so hard to go less than 60 without constantly getting passed.  They really need to rebuild the Expressway though and add a lane at least up to LA 28 East.

[ElishaGOtis]

https://www.kalb.com/2026/03/27/pineville-expressway-could-see-speed-limit-increase-60-mph/

TLDR- The speed limit on the Pineville Expressway could go up from 50 mph to 60 mph, under a current LaDOTD study on changing speed limits on several roadways.

Finally.  When I used to drive it regularly, it was always so hard to go less than 60 without constantly getting passed.  They really need to rebuild the Expressway though and add a lane at least up to LA 28 East.

STATEWIDE? This is news to me... I was literally just talking to someone from DOTD about the local speed limits. I was directed to call central office regarding the freeway speed limits (as I was asking about I-49 specifically). This adds another layer to my question lol 😂

(tl;dr what went into 75mph on I-49? Design speed? Corridor test? Politics?)

From the article, it seems it was a mass change from a single engineering order to a bunch of roadways over 30 years ago, older than what this map otherwise shows (https://ladotd.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=d3a52785b84e42a4b9027a936e7ed8bd), and they're reverting these mass changes individually.

[cenlaroads]

https://www.kalb.com/2026/03/27/pineville-expressway-could-see-speed-limit-increase-60-mph/

TLDR- The speed limit on the Pineville Expressway could go up from 50 mph to 60 mph, under a current LaDOTD study on changing speed limits on several roadways.

Finally.  When I used to drive it regularly, it was always so hard to go less than 60 without constantly getting passed.  They really need to rebuild the Expressway though and add a lane at least up to LA 28 East.

STATEWIDE? This is news to me... I was literally just talking to someone from DOTD about the local speed limits. I was directed to call central office regarding the freeway speed limits (as I was asking about I-49 specifically). This adds another layer to my question lol 😂

(tl;dr what went into 75mph on I-49? Design speed? Corridor test? Politics?)

From the article, it seems it was a mass change from a single engineering order to a bunch of roadways over 30 years ago, older than what this map otherwise shows (https://ladotd.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=d3a52785b84e42a4b9027a936e7ed8bd), and they're reverting these mass changes individually.

I'm not sure what you are asking when you say "Statewide?"  I was referring only to the Pineville Expressway, mentioned in the post I quoted.

[ElishaGOtis]

https://www.kalb.com/2026/03/27/pineville-expressway-could-see-speed-limit-increase-60-mph/

TLDR- The speed limit on the Pineville Expressway could go up from 50 mph to 60 mph, under a current LaDOTD study on changing speed limits on several roadways.

Finally.  When I used to drive it regularly, it was always so hard to go less than 60 without constantly getting passed.  They really need to rebuild the Expressway though and add a lane at least up to LA 28 East.

STATEWIDE? This is news to me... I was literally just talking to someone from DOTD about the local speed limits. I was directed to call central office regarding the freeway speed limits (as I was asking about I-49 specifically). This adds another layer to my question lol 😂

(tl;dr what went into 75mph on I-49? Design speed? Corridor test? Politics?)

From the article, it seems it was a mass change from a single engineering order to a bunch of roadways over 30 years ago, older than what this map otherwise shows (https://ladotd.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=d3a52785b84e42a4b9027a936e7ed8bd), and they're reverting these mass changes individually.

I'm not sure what you are asking when you say "Statewide?"  I was referring only to the Pineville Expressway, mentioned in the post I quoted.

I was commenting on the article lol

[cenlaroads]

https://www.kalb.com/2026/03/27/pineville-expressway-could-see-speed-limit-increase-60-mph/

TLDR- The speed limit on the Pineville Expressway could go up from 50 mph to 60 mph, under a current LaDOTD study on changing speed limits on several roadways.

Finally.  When I used to drive it regularly, it was always so hard to go less than 60 without constantly getting passed.  They really need to rebuild the Expressway though and add a lane at least up to LA 28 East.

STATEWIDE? This is news to me... I was literally just talking to someone from DOTD about the local speed limits. I was directed to call central office regarding the freeway speed limits (as I was asking about I-49 specifically). This adds another layer to my question lol 😂

(tl;dr what went into 75mph on I-49? Design speed? Corridor test? Politics?)

From the article, it seems it was a mass change from a single engineering order to a bunch of roadways over 30 years ago, older than what this map otherwise shows (https://ladotd.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=d3a52785b84e42a4b9027a936e7ed8bd), and they're reverting these mass changes individually.

I'm not sure what you are asking when you say "Statewide?"  I was referring only to the Pineville Expressway, mentioned in the post I quoted.

I was commenting on the article lol

Oh lol, I should have realized that.