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Welcome back MrBernham! Good to see you posting again! 

The Northshore of I-12 desperately needs to be widened. Dangerous wrecks have happened with gridlock!  And all of the bridges in Louisiana have been a detriment to widening $$

Here's a different plan for 10-12 Split for College Drive

New routes for I-10 and I-12 at College aimed at Baton Rouge's congested corridor

The Interstate 10 interchange at College Drive, one of Baton Rouge’s most notorious bottlenecks, is about to get an extreme makeover.

Hoping to ease a bit of the city's white-knuckle driving experience, state and local leaders Tuesday announced the start of construction of a new $52.3 million College Drive exit for westbound traffic on I-10 and I-12. Construction will continue through late 2022, weather permitting.

The new roadwork has two main parts:

#    New westbound I-12 traffic lanes that will more closely follow the path of the current I-12 eastbound lane.
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Glad to be back richyb83. It was an interesting year, I've got plenty of stories that one day soon I'll divulge. 

I gotta say, I like the new split plan. My only concern with this new plan is the it will cause a bottleneck where I12 splits and then rejoins at the I10 college-bound bridge. I can see a lot of people not heading towards college getting confused with the new layout and trying to get off the College Dr. route. Then again, I'm not a traffic engineer....just a Baton Rouge politico. 

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16 hours ago, richyb83 said:

Welcome back MrBernham! Good to see you posting again! 

The Northshore of I-12 desperately needs to be widened. Dangerous wrecks have happened with gridlock!  And all of the bridges in Louisiana have been a detriment to widening $$

Here's a different plan for 10-12 Split for College Drive

New routes for I-10 and I-12 at College aimed at Baton Rouge's congested corridor

The Interstate 10 interchange at College Drive, one of Baton Rouge’s most notorious bottlenecks, is about to get an extreme makeover.

Hoping to ease a bit of the city's white-knuckle driving experience, state and local leaders Tuesday announced the start of construction of a new $52.3 million College Drive exit for westbound traffic on I-10 and I-12. Construction will continue through late 2022, weather permitting.

The new roadwork has two main parts:

#    New westbound I-12 traffic lanes that will more closely follow the path of the current I-12 eastbound lane.

Well, I hope the replant all of those oak trees they'll have to remove.  

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On 5/11/2021 at 4:14 PM, cajun said:

I just heard that LA DOTD is asking for $140 million in federal stimulus funding to widen I-10 between Highway 73 and Highway 22 in Ascension Parish (Prarieville to Sorrento), 4 additional miles of I-12 widening in St. Tammany Parish, and some improvements to I-20 near Shreveport as part of the initial $1.6 billion tranche of the $3.2 billion that will be allocated to Louisiana.     Meaning that those projects are "shovel ready" and are likely to get started by 2022 and be completed by the end of 2024.     I'm not sure if they'll actually widen I-10 that much in Ascension in this round, but it's one of LA DOTD's asks.     If they do go through with it, they will likely start with the section between 73 and 30 and work their way east towards Sorrento with future projects.

All of those projects will cost only slightly more than the current I-12 widening in Covington since that project involves a widened bridge (already underway) over a river without closing down existing lanes.

Then the state gets the second half of the $3.2 billion in federal dollars ---- meaning another $1.6 billion in stimulus that they have to SPEND by 2024 per federal law.    So it will be a lot of smaller projects that can be completed quickly - like widening stretches of highway on level, flat land (like I-12 in Livingston or I-10 in Lafayette), enhancing larger projects that are already underway (like widening I-10 in BR) or adding turn lanes or street lights to various state or local roads.    No word yet on what will get funded for that, but I sincerely hope that we are ready to start pouring concrete with the new Lake Charles or Plaquemine bridges by 2024.   The second round of stimulus will likely be more focused towards highways, bridges, and sewers than the initial round since there (hopefully) won't be a need to throw $400 million at replenishing the state's unemployment insurance fund by then.   The fund was depleted when businesses were forced to suspend operations during the pandemic.

I have to correct this. 

The Feds have since changed their mind and won't allow any of this to be spent on transportation infrastructure at all.   So of the $3.2 billion Louisiana will see from the feds, $0.00 can be spent on transportation infrastructure.   

Louisiana has to re-plan how they spend all of this.   Which is particularly infuriating as transportation infrastructure is a huge need for the state.  

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  • 2 weeks later...

Infrastructure bill:   Baton Rouge politician tacks on a $1 billion ear mark for a new Mississippi River Bridge in the Baton Rouge area to make a point.

https://www.businessreport.com/politics/rep-graves-using-1b-earmark-to-make-a-point-about-infrastructure

A lot of politicians in Washington are now mad about it because the infrastructure bill wasn't actually supposed to be about infrastructure.  One even called this a "bridge to nowhere" and suggested that I-10 is not nationally or regionally relevant.   :lol:

 

I'm going to co-opt the phrase "throwing a nickel at a $10 problem".   I can use that almost weekly when describing politicians, developers, and even some of my company's higher ups.

Edited by cajun
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1 hour ago, dan326 said:

Yes indeed, not nationally relevant. I'm surprised they could stand to fix their mouth to suggest that.

I tried to see it from their perspective, but I couldn't get my head that far up my rear end.  

A bridge over the Mississippi River is nationally relevant.   It's that big of a geographic divide.   And a congested I-10 is also a nationally relevant problem.  Just like  a busted I-40 bridge.

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7 hours ago, cajun said:

A Baton Rouge to New Orleans passenger rail? Here’s how a big sell could help make it possible

https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/business/article_013c49da-be61-11eb-b6c5-f3c96ebc112d.html

Wonder how much ridership this BR-NOLA passenger rail will get??

DOTD announces lane closures on I-10 to demolish old Pecue Lane overpass bridge

https://www.wafb.com/2021/05/28/dotd-announces-lane-closures-on-i-10-to-demolish-old-pecue-lane-overpass-bridge/

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development announced there will be lane closures on I-10 between the Highland Road exit and Siegen Lane exit to demolish the old Pecue Lane overpass bridge.

The closures will start on Thursday, May 27, and are scheduled to last through Saturday, June 12. They are subject to change due to the weather.

Below is the schedule for lane closures:

  • Thursday, May 27, 2021 - I-10 West will have a single lane closure from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. and a double lane closure from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m.
  • Friday, May 28, 2021 - I-10 West will have a single lane closure from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. and a double lane closure from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m.
  • Tuesday, June 1, 2021 - I-10 East will have a single lane closure from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. and a double lane closure from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. I-10 will rolling roadblocks between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m.
  • Wednesday, June 2, 2021 thru Saturday June 5, 2021 - I-10 West will have a single lane closure from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. and a double lane closure from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m.
  • Monday, June 7, 2021 thru Saturday June 12, 2021 - I-10 West will have a single lane closure from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. and a double lane closure from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m.
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  • 1 month later...

 

 

Quote

 

Edwards signs infrastructure funding bill prioritizing new Baton Rouge bridge

https://www.businessreport.com/politics/edwards-signs-infrastructure-funding-bill-prioritizing-new-baton-rouge-bridge?utm_campaign=dr_pm-2021_Jul_02-14_53&utm_medium=email&utm_source=dr_pm&oly_enc_id=6911F7561089J4A

Louisiana will shift up to $300 million in taxes charged annually on the sales of new cars and trucks to roadwork, under a bill Gov. John Bel Edwards signed into law today, handing a victory to Senate leaders who pushed for the boosted transportation funding.

The dollars will be removed from the state general fund where they help to pay for health care, education, public safety services and other government operations. The shift will be phased in over two years starting in mid-2023, with some provisions for cutting the size of the transfer if the state faces budget gaps.  

Certain projects are specifically given priority for the new transportation funding, including a new Mississippi River bridge in Baton Rouge, replacement of the Interstate 10 bridge in Calcasieu Parish, expansion of Interstate 49 in the southern part of the state and widening of I-12 from Baton Rouge to the Mississippi state line. 

 

 

I honestly can't believe he signed it.    

Either way.....potentially very good for Louisiana IF state lawmakers don't just remove $300 million a year that would have before gone into transportation from the general fund back into the general fund.   

The scenario that traditionally plays out:

Step 1.  The state has $10 given to them by the taxpayers to spend.   $5 goes to discretionary pet projects.   The other  $5 goes to discretionary transportation/education/healthcare related expenses.  

Step 2.  The taxpayers want a specific project (in this case a  bridge) that will require at least $7 in funding, so they push to have a dedicated tax to allocate an additional $2 to help fund their goal.     

Step 3.   The bill gets passed.   The lawmakers and the governor takes a victory lap in the newspapers.    Taxpayers feel like they are getting value for their money. 

Step 4.   The next year, taxpayers send $10 to the state to spend plus their $2 in constitutionally mandated funding for a specific project.    So the taxpayers are now sending $12 to the state to spend. 

Step 5.   In the following session, the $2 that would have gone into discretionary transportation/education/healthcare related expenses gets pulled into pet projects.    So, lawmakers now have $7 that goes into pet projects, $2 that are in constitutionally mandated transportation projects, $3 into discretionary transportation/education/healthcare related expenses.    

We are at Step 3.  I hope we don't get to Step 5.

The net result is higher taxes, but we never seem to get anything accomplished and important infrastructure and institutions end up under-funded while the state ends up paying for countless weird items (like a Children's Museum in New Orleans, an office building next the superdome where no state workers exist, a new roof on some church in BFE, etc.) .   This method of "back dooring" funding into pet projects is why so many people in Louisiana are against any new tax regardless of what it sets out to accomplish.    

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  • 4 months later...

Our second and final survey for the MOVE2046 plan is available now until November 8th and we are asking you to consider some important options.

https://crpcla.org/move2046

MOVE2046, the Capital Region’s Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) establishes the shared vision for the region for the next 25 years. The plan covers Ascension, East Baton Rouge, Iberville, Livingston and West Baton Rouge parishes and considers all surface transportation modes. Transportation projects must be included in this plan to receive federal funding.

Your input is needed to determine important aspects of the plan:

  • New funding options for transportation projects

  • Transportation improvements along major corridors

  • Growth scenarios for the Capital Region

  •  

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  • 3 months later...

Afflicted ...can't believe that small  stretch of I-10 stayed just TWO lanes

This I-10 change is going to mean massive traffic jams in Baton Rouge: 'It's going to be a pain'

The work is scheduled to start in 2024 and last about a year.

https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/weather_traffic/article_2d16cc4a-83a7-11ec-baa8-9721bd84b347.html

618adf19b0d3e.image.jpg?resize=990,544

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On 2/4/2022 at 2:28 PM, richyb83 said:

Afflicted ...can't believe that small  stretch of I-10 stayed just TWO lanes

 

I honestly didn't know how they ever planned to do this without closing down a lane.  There's maybe 2-3 feet of available work space alongside the outside and inside lanes in those elevated sections.   

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DOTD planning to add HOV lanes to I-12 in coming years

BATON ROUGE - In a little less than a decade from now, Baton Rouge may no longer be infamous for rush-hour traffic congestion. 

That's the vision at DOTD headquarters, where officials are moving through plan after plan to reduce congestion on major roadways such as I-10 and I-12. A new bridge over the Mississippi River, a widened I-10 and now high occupancy vehicle lanes are being added to the ever-growing list of improvements. 

"You also think about major construction that’s going to be happening on I-10, we know that we’re going to be having a choke point and this is just one of the many measures trying to reduce the number of vehicle miles traveled on our highways," DOTD Secretary Shawn Wilson said. 

The HOV lanes will use the inner shoulders on I-12 in both directions as additional lane during certain high-traffic hours of the day. With a white double-striped line as a barrier, the HOV lanes will stretch from the Drusilla overpass on I-12, to the Walker South Road exit.

It's an effort to relieve rush-hour delays, with an environmentally friendly approach of encouraging drivers to carpool to and from their destination.

"It just absolutely makes sense. It’s cheaper for families to carpool, it’s safer in terms of having fewer vehicles on the roads and from a climate change perspective we’re going to be reducing emissions even greater if we can reduce the amount of people on the roads," Wilson said.

To dissuade drivers from abusing the system, technology such as heat-sensing cameras will be placed along the lanes. Wilson added, he's hoping DOTD can trust drivers to use the "honor system." 

Seriously, though, we want to trust people. We will write tickets if you violate those procedures. With the cameras we will be able to verify that. This is a free service, and if we abuse it, then it does no good. So, we’re going to trust that our citizens are going to do the right thing," Wilson said. 

The project is currently in the process of being designed. Once construction begins, one of the first steps will be re-paving the future lanes. 

The entire project is estimated to take up to 6 1/2 years to be completed.

https://www.wbrz.com/news/dotd-planning-to-add-hov-lanes-to-i-12-in-coming-years/

 
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11 hours ago, richyb83 said:

 

The entire project is estimated to take up to 6 1/2 years to be completed.

 

 

It takes 6 and a half years to turn an inside shoulder into a lane?  

Hopefully they figure this out.  I think there is potential for this on I-10 between Gonzales Prairieville and the I-10/I-12 split.   There is talk that there may be funding for widening that stretch of I-10 between LA73 and LA22 in Ascension Parish.   Hope that happens soon!

Edited by cajun
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My proposal for The West Bank turnpike system (green) and feeder roads (orange -4 lane divided collector, red - 2 lane roadway with shoulders).  

The network is designed to facilitate traffic movements on the west side of the river so they are less dependent on a single highway (LA1) while also helping encourage more use of both the new bridge crossing at Addis and the John James Audubon bridge in New Roads/St. Francisville.    Ideally this would not only help reduce local truck and commuter traffic on I-10 in Baton Rouge, but also encourage more development on the west bank so that new manufacturing facilities that move to the area don't have to rely on commuters from the eastern side of the metro area as much to staff their facilities.   I intentionally left the areas north of I-10 as surface highways for that reason (and b/c it's cheaper).

I want to do a separate one south of this area in St. James parish through Jefferson Parish too.   

Untitled.thumb.jpg.7dd88f6adaf140eeeedf796033e810b1.jpg

 

I didn't bother continuing north of the Audubon bridge....mostly because there's limited options up there for industrial development, and because any new bridge out there is going to be at least partially Mississippi's problem.    And there's no easy away across the Morganza spillway other than LA1.  

But I do think there's justification for extending LA415 to LA1 and adding another exit several miles west to host the new turnpike south and an LA1 connector north towards the Audubon bridge, even if it's just a two lane road that's scalable to 4 lanes in the distant future.

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NICE WORK Cajun!!  Like the different Color-coded  routes.......:thumbsup:  like how you tied the northern route to the Audubon Bridge

Years ago  here on UP I drew up Southern By- Pass  much like your route from I-10 Tanger Mall/East ...along Hwy 30 corridor up to near Casino then across River (like yours); but had it connecting Hwy 415/Westport extension w "New" Bridge over the Intracoastal Canal....

Somehow Tie that in to the West Bank Expressway paralleling Hwy 1 ....helps to have extra hurricane evacuation routes too!

.....Not sure how far  West the  Western route would be allowed to go  where the  Atchafalaya Heritage Area is concerned

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Just thinking out loud, would the new south bridge relieve enough traffic from the existing bridge with only access roads extending to LA 1 and Nicholson?

IMO, it would be more beneficial for new limited access roads also be constructed, as part of, and at the same time, as the bridge project. They should extend to LA 415 @ I-10 (by way of a new bridge over Intracoastal) and also to I-10 near River Parishes CC. 

This would serve as an actual loop constructed to interstate standards allow unlimited access to/from I-10.

 

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There's another poll on the I-10 widening design.   This time around noise barriers.   Y'all should take it.

https://i10br.com/

On 2/15/2022 at 10:55 AM, fla_tiger said:

Just thinking out loud, would the new south bridge relieve enough traffic from the existing bridge with only access roads extending to LA 1 and Nicholson?

IMO, it would be more beneficial for new limited access roads also be constructed, as part of, and at the same time, as the bridge project. They should extend to LA 415 @ I-10 (by way of a new bridge over Intracoastal) and also to I-10 near River Parishes CC. 

This would serve as an actual loop constructed to interstate standards allow unlimited access to/from I-10.

 

I think they are going to have to turn highway 30 into a freeway with feeder roads somehow.

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  • 1 month later...
  • 2 weeks later...
On 3/22/2022 at 8:02 PM, richyb83 said:

Local group continues pushing for alternative I-10 plan

https://www.businessreport.com/business/local-group-continues-fight-against-i-10-widening

This proposal might be a good idea....

 

Unfortunately their plan was obsolete the second they discovered that the bulk of the piers below the elevated portions of I-10 in Baton Rouge are approaching the end of their useful life and will have to be replaced.  In the physical world in which we live, it's impossible to do that without closing at least one lane at a time.     

And there is a false statement in the FIRST SENTENCE of their presentation - LADOTD says 2 years of lane reductions, not 4.    That's a major red flag.    And of course their doesn't actually widen the highway between Dalrymple and Perkins because that's where the organizers live, so it fails to meet the requirements of this entire project at all.    We already determined years ago that doing nothing here is more costly economically to Louisiana than to spend money to finally fix this section.   So this alternative plan should be dismissed immediately, and it sounds like no one is taking it very seriously other than the people who put it together.

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We started out with 4, then "narrowed it down" to 17.    Now we are pretending to make progress while we narrow it down to 10.   

Only in the political world does this make any sense at all.   Private sector employees would be fired if they were this ineffective.  

https://www.businessreport.com/business/sites-for-new-mississippi-river-bridge-in-baton-rouge-narrowed-to-10

 

Quote

 

Sites for new Mississippi River bridge in Baton Rouge narrowed to 10 

Louisiana residents will have a chance to review 10 proposed locations for a new bridge over the Mississippi River in the Baton Rouge area. The consultant group the state has hired for the project told the Capital Area Road and Bridge District on Monday afternoon it will use public feedback to narrow that list to three by the end of May, according to Louisiana Illuminator. 

The committee faces significant pressure to pick the bridge’s location before the state budget is finalized in June. House Speaker Clay Schexnayder and other legislative leaders say they will only support Gov John Bel Edwards’ push to put $500 million toward a new Mississippi River bridge “if we have a target spot for it.”

 

 

 

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  • 3 months later...

The 3 current proposed New Bridge locations will be useless with out an I-10 WBR / I-10 Ascension Connector " Southern By =Pass"! The giddy  Ourso from Iberville needs to realize this. Hwy 30 must be upgraded and 2nd (new) Intracoastal Bridge  form Hwy   415 extension will be needed .....  ad naseum

The fact that Old Hammon Hwy will only be widened from O'Neal Lane to Millerville Road to Flannery Rd (Roundabout) is perplexing.   The stretch btwn Blvd DeProvince to Flannery (west) will remain JUST TWO LANES bec of the Jones Creek & Lively Bayou bridges...

I-10 project is expected to be a traffic nightmare. Officials hope these upgrades will help.

Officials are improving the alternative routes before I-10 shuts down to two lanes for a year.

https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/article_cee69310-09d6-11ed-b4c1-879c7d0d0a41.html

62daa87b3d748.image.jpg?resize=990,1075

 

Edited by richyb83
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