Highway 3152 - Clearview Parkway

Louisiana Highway 3152

Clearview Parkway weaves northward from the Huey P. Long Bridge and Jefferson Highway through a commercial corridor at Elmwood to Folse Drive in a residential area off Lake Pontchartrain. The congested arterial provides a direct link from the West Bank for U.S. 61 (Airline Drive) and Interstate 10 to Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) and Metairie. LA 3152 lines the route between U.S. 90 and I-10.

The long standing traffic circle at the north end of the Huey P. Long Bridge joining U.S. 90 with Jefferson Highway and Clearview Parkway (LA 3152) was initially proposed for removal in 2001. With the opening of a new Wal-Mart store nearby on October 24, 2001, an anticipated traffic of 3,400 vehicles per day was expected to overrun the rotary. Jefferson Parish announced the closure of the circle in February 2001 as part of plan to add turn lanes, U-turns and traffic signals between the two highways. The $1 million improvement project was designated to accommodate the increased traffic from the new Wal-Mart. Following complaints from other area businesses, the parish opted to delay the circle project in March 2001.1

The traffic circle at Elmwood remained in service to March 2002, after Jefferson Parish officials sided with business owners of an industrial park off Jefferson parkway. The businesses argued that the circle closure would affect them by redirecting semi trucks several extra blocks to reach them. By this time DOTD officials had insisted on closing the traffic circle.2

The circle remained in operation until the $1.2 billion Huey P. Long Bridge expansion project. It was finally eliminated in Fall 2010, when the Jefferson Highway overpass above it was demolished and replaced with a signalized intersection. The change was needed to accommodate work on the eventual new flyovers linking Clearview Parkway with the expanded Mississippi River bridge.3 The new flyover from U.S. 90 (Huey P. Long Bridge) west to Clearview Parkway north opened on April 29, 2012.4

References:

  1. "Traffic circle near superstore still open - Decision to close it has proved elusive." Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA), October 23, 2001.
  2. "State to rethink closing circle - Agency orders study of Elmwood traffic." Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA), March 11, 2002.
  3. "Changes ahead for Huey P. Long drivers - Traffic circle will be phased out." Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA), September 27, 2010.
  4. "Wider lanes debut soon on Huey P. Long Bridge - Officials get preview of the 'Big Switch'." Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA), April 24, 2012.

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Page Updated Monday October 03, 2016.