Interstate Highways of the Louisiana Highway System

Interstate 10 marker

Interstate 220 marker

Highway markers in use for primary interstates (left) and auxiliary interstates (right)
Map
Interstate Highways highlighted in red
System information
Length933.84 mi[4] (1,502.87 km)
FormedJune 29, 1956 (authorized);[1]
February 24, 1960 (opened);[2]
April 23, 1960 (signed)[3]
Highway names
InterstatesInterstate X (I-X)
System links
  • Louisiana State Highway System

The Interstate Highway System in Louisiana consists of 933.84 miles (1,502.87 km)[4] of freeways constructed and maintained by the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (La DOTD).

The system was authorized on June 29, 1956 when President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed into law the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956.[1] The Louisiana Department of Highways, predecessor of the DOTD, began construction shortly afterward on its portion of the system, to which approximately 686 miles (1,104 km) was initially allotted.[5] The first road segment in the new system was officially opened and dedicated on February 24, 1960 and consisted of a portion of the Pontchartrain Expressway (I-10) in New Orleans.[2] Two months later, the first Interstate Highway shields installed in Louisiana accompanied the opening of a portion of I-20 near Ruston on April 23.[3]

Primary interstates

Number Length (mi)[4] Length (km) Southern or western terminus Northern or eastern terminus Formed Removed Notes
I-10 274.42 441.64 Texas state line at Orange, TX Mississippi state line east of Slidell 01960-01-011960[2] current Southern Louisiana's primary east–west route serving Lake Charles, Lafayette, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and Slidell
I-12 85.59 137.74 I-10 in Baton Rouge I-10/I-59 in Slidell 01967-01-011967[6] current Northern bypass of New Orleans metropolitan area via Hammond
I-14 — — Texas state line near Leesville, LA (undecided) Mississippi state line near Natchez, MS (undecided) proposed — Proposed extension roughly paralleling the LA 28 corridor
I-20 189.87 305.57 Texas state line west of Greenwood Mississippi state line at Vicksburg, MS 01960-01-011960[3] current Northern Louisiana's primary east–west route serving Shreveport and Monroe
I-49 239.25 385.04 I-10/US 167 in Lafayette Arkansas state line north of Ida 01983-01-011983[7] current Louisiana's primary north–south route, connecting I-10 and I-20 via Alexandria; final gap in Shreveport is under construction and southern extension from Lafayette to New Orleans is planned
I-55 65.81 105.91 I-10/US 51 in LaPlace Mississippi state line north of Kentwood 01960-01-011960[8] current North–south route in southeastern Louisiana via Hammond
I-59 11.48 18.48 I-10/I-12 in Slidell Mississippi state line north of Pearl River 01962-01-011962[9] current North–south route in southeastern Louisiana via Slidell
I-69 — — Texas state line southwest of Shreveport (undecided) Arkansas state line northeast of Haynesville (undecided) proposed — Proposed extension roughly paralleling the US 79 corridor
  •       Former
  •       Proposed and unbuilt

Auxiliary interstates

Number Length (mi)[4] Length (km) Southern or western terminus Northern or eastern terminus Formed Removed Notes
I-110 8.89 14.31 I-10 in Baton Rouge US 61 in Baton Rouge 01964-01-011964[10] current Baton Rouge spur; formerly designated as I-410
I-210 12.40 19.96 I-10 west of Lake Charles I-10 east of Lake Charles 01964-01-011964[11] current Lake Charles downtown bypass
I-220 17.62 28.36 I-20/LA 3132 in Shreveport I-20 in Bossier City 01977-01-011977[12] current Shreveport–Bossier City downtown bypass
I-310 11.25 18.11 US 90/LA 3127 in Boutte I-10 west of Kenner 01983-01-011983[13] current Spur west of New Orleans
I-310 2.70 4.35 US 90 Bus. in New Orleans I-10 in New Orleans 01964-01-011964[14] 01969-01-011969[15] Cancelled Vieux Carré Riverfront Expressway
I-410 1.90 3.06 LA 67 in Baton Rouge I-10 in Baton Rouge 01961-01-011961[16] 01964-01-011964[10] Unfinished Baton Rouge loop partially retained as I-110; planned as 13.60-mile (21.89 km) route with western terminus at I-10 near Port Allen[11]
I-410 48.5 78.1 I-10 west of New Orleans I-10 in Eastern New Orleans 01969-01-011969[15] 01977-01-011977[17] Cancelled southern bypass of New Orleans known as the Dixie Freeway; partially built as current I-310 and I-510
I-420 10.20 16.42 I-20 in West Monroe I-20 in Monroe 01957-01-011957[18] 01964-01-011964[14] Cancelled two-lane bypass of Monroe
I-510 3.04 4.89 LA 47 in New Orleans I-10/LA 47 in New Orleans 01992-01-011992[19] current Spur in Eastern New Orleans
I-610 4.52 7.27 I-10 in New Orleans 01965-01-011965[20] current New Orleans downtown bypass
I-910 9.70 15.61 US 90 Bus. in Marrero I-10/US 90 Bus. in New Orleans 01999-01-011999[21] current FHWA designation (not used by La DOTD) for freeway portion of US 90 Bus. and placeholder for future I-49 corridor
  •       Former
  •       Proposed and unbuilt

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Highway Boom in La. Foreseen". The Times-Picayune. New Orleans. June 30, 1956. p. 1.
  2. ^ a b c "Expressway Will Be Dedicated". The Times-Picayune. New Orleans. February 24, 1960. p. 13.
  3. ^ a b c Wagner, Robert (April 24, 1960). "Highway Unit is Dedicated". The Times-Picayune. New Orleans. p. 28.
  4. ^ a b c d "FHWA Route Log and Finder List, Table 3: Interstate Routes". Federal Highway Administration. May 23, 2017. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  5. ^ "Hearing Scheduled Feb. 11 on Proposed US Highway". The Times-Picayune. New Orleans. January 22, 1958. p. 31.
  6. ^ "State Highway Work Sets All-Time Mark". The Times-Picayune. New Orleans. January 29, 1967. sec. 8, p. 11.
  7. ^ "I-49 Progressing in La.; 25 Miles Open, 55 to Go". The Times-Picayune. New Orleans. January 15, 1984. p. 6.
  8. ^ "Interstate Road Work Keeps Pace with Cars". The Times-Picayune. New Orleans. August 4, 1960. sec. 4, p. 11.
  9. ^ "La., Miss. Road Link Dedicated". The Times-Picayune. New Orleans. August 3, 1962. p. 25.
  10. ^ a b U.S. Route Numbering Subcommittee (June 20, 1970). "U.S. Route Numbering Subcommittee Agenda Showing Action Taken by the Executive Committee" (PDF) (Report). Washington, DC: American Association of State Highway Officials. p. 2. Retrieved May 26, 2017 – via Wikimedia Commons.
  11. ^ a b "Louisiana's 679.9 Miles of Interstate Highways Ahead of Schedule". The Times-Picayune. New Orleans. November 27, 1964. sec. 4, p. 1.
  12. ^ Shuler, Marsha (December 29, 1977). "Road Projects Give New Look to Area". The Shreveport Times. Shreveport. p. 5A.
  13. ^ "Goodbye Ferry, Hello New Bridge, St. Charles Cheers". The Times-Picayune. New Orleans. October 7, 1983. p. 1.
  14. ^ a b Weingroff, Richard F. (November 18, 2015). "The Battles of New Orleans—Vieux Carré Riverfront Expressway (I-310)". Highway History. Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  15. ^ a b U.S. Route Numbering Subcommittee (October 26, 1969). "U.S. Route Numbering Subcommittee Agenda Showing Action Taken by the Executive Committee" (Report). Washington, DC: American Association of State Highway Officials. p. 7. Retrieved May 26, 2017 – via Wikisource.
  16. ^ General Drafting (1961). Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi (Map) (November 1961 ed.). Esso.
  17. ^ Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering (July 6, 1977). "Route Numbering Committee Agenda" (PDF) (Report). Washington, DC: American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. p. 2. Retrieved May 26, 2017 – via Wikimedia Commons.
  18. ^ Wagner, Robert (January 26, 1958). "Interstate Highway System Construction Work Is Begun". The Times-Picayune. New Orleans. sec. 8, p. 12.
  19. ^ Turni, Karen (November 14, 1992). "I-510 Opening Links St. Bernard, I-10". The Times-Picayune. New Orleans. p. B1.
  20. ^ "Route to Ease Traffic Tieup". The Times-Picayune. New Orleans. March 26, 1965. sec. 2, p. 2.
  21. ^ Sine, Richard (April 1, 2000). "I-910 May Pave Path in N.O.". The Times-Picayune. New Orleans. p. A1.

External links

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