Proposed I-410

[brresident]

Why is this loop supposed to cost $3 billion? How long is it supposed to be? If I'm not mistaken, that's A LOT more money than the 35-mile stretch of I-49 from Shreveport to Arkansas will cost.

Bigger rivers and more population density combined with two freeway interchanges, possibly three...let's not forget that it is crossing more roads, so there is a possibility of more interchanges. Looks like they are going to have to spend a lot of money widening the US 190 bridge.

From what I understand, the Northern Loop is what Holden is talking about, followed by an eastern loop btw Walker and Gonzales.

I expect just the northern portion to be 10-20 miles if it is ever done.

[dimebag1980]

Bigger rivers and more population density combined with two freeway interchanges, possibly three...let's not forget that it is crossing more roads, so there is a possibility of more interchanges. Looks like they are going to have to spend a lot of money widening the US 190 bridge.

Yeah that makes sense. Aside from inner-city Shreveport, the I-49 North project will be going through the forgotten lands between north Shreveport and Arkansas.

I can certianly see the issues you mentioned above driving the cost up. I-49 will not cross any rivers, but rather a few bayous... nothing major. The bulk of it will be rural land, and I think it will completely bypass Caddo Lake (though that would make for a beautiful stretch of road.)

The US 190 bridge definitely needs to be widened.

[richyb83]

The loop will be done in phases...1st priority should be to focus on the southern/western half for any future NOLA mass evacuations. They would by-pass EBR all together down in Ascension Parish; going west crossing an upgraded Sunshine Bridge?? And looping around the industrial corridor paralell with La.Hwy.1 into WBR crossing the Intracoastal Waterway and connecting to Hwy. 415 (Westsport) That would allow the mass exodus to avoid the 10/12 gridlocked funnel thru BR.

^I-49 to NWA and KC would be really cool; and like you said a pretty ride.

[brresident]

If they did the northern loop followed by the proposed I-10 widening from LA415 to Highland Road as well as the I-12 widening from O'Neal to Walker....I imagine that Baton Rouge's freeway traffic problems would be solved for 10, maybe even 15 minutes.

[byrde]

Holden has started working on the Bypass.

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/politics/...index=1&c=y

[brresident]

I know we frown on political post here...but Holden is way better than what I expected. I was expecting a Cleo Fields type.

Holden really seems worried about transporation issues. Then again, next year is an election year....

[byrde]

If Holden would have won when he ran the first time, we would be halfway finished with the loop by now.

[richyb83]

The previous Mayors couldn't seem to get very much rolling as Holden is. The Councilman have been impressed with Holden's getting things done with transportation. The Central Thruway has been on the boards for 10-15 years. Not only did he get it rolling; he propsed and got a 4-lane road instead of the original plan of just 2-lanes. And Holden's Green Light Plan is a big-time step in the positive direction!

The ex-Mayors did get projects like the Corporate Blvd. extension to Jefferson Hwy. connecting Old Hammond Hwy. It's hard to imagine Baton Rouge without that important 1 mile East-West corridor that has fueled major growth like CitiPlace and Towne Center.

A small (less than a mile-long?)Connection between Bluebonnet Blvd. and Coursey Blvd. The Central Thruway will connect that to Central(city) Hooper Road way-up to the north. And with the Bluebonnet extension; it will make it possible to travel from way down Nicholson Drive all the way up to Hooper Road.

Oak Villa Drive on the eastern edge of Cortana Mall extension to Greenwell Springs Rd. connecting to Joor Road was another good idea; and a badly needed north-south 4-lane.

The Green Light Plan includes some important re-alignment of the important Surface Streets.

[Trel-Ellis]

^thats so true..

[brresident]

Engineers picked for loop work

April 11th, 2007

full article: http://www.2theadvocate.com/traffic/6965362.html

A team of consultants led by one of the national leaders in toll-road projects has been selected to plan a loop around the Baton Rouge metropolitan area.

City-parish Chief Engineer Bryan Harmon said negotiations are under way with the engineering team of HNTB Corp. and ABMB Engineers to hammer out a contract within the $2 million budget.

The contract is tentatively slated to go before a Metro Council committee April 18 and the full council on April 25, Harmon said.

He noted that HNTB Corp. is one of the national leaders in the area of toll-road development, and a natural choice for a project that will rely heavily on toll revenue.

Harmon also noted that the two firms plan to work closely with URS, an engineering firm that completed the study a few years ago for a northern corridor. The URS study called for the proposed loop to split off Interstate 12 near Walker, loop to the north and run into I-110 near the old Mississippi River Bridge.

The HNTB-ABMB proposal was one of four received by the city-parish and ranked by the Engineer Selection Board, Harmon said. The unsuccessful bidders were Burk-Kleinpeter Inc., PBS & J

[richyb83]

Hopefully the Federal funds $ will come too; that's been the block to widening of I-10 that needs to go out to Ascension. Widening to Highland Road would be a good start. Adding an extra-lane to the I-10 Bridge won't be easy.

[Gauge]

News on the proposed northern and southern Baton Rouge loop. I don't know if the forum rules allow me to copy and past the article. If that is allowed, someone please do it since The Advocate website only has the article for free for a limited amount of time:

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/7856552.html

[byrde]

They seem to have an agressive time table to get the northern loop done in 4-5 years. I currently live along the route of the north bypass. It will be a relief to be able to use the loop to get to 10 or 12 when needing to travel out of town.

[dan326]

The initial leg of a new expressway loop around the Baton Rouge area could open in four to five years, and would probably follow the corridor from Walker north of Interstate 10 to the Mississippi River.

“We

[fla_tiger]

Our legislature needs to respond to the rash of fatal crashes recently involving semis. With all of the added population and even moreso added traffic, being the state is awash with cash, LDOT needs to speed up plans to add a third lane in each direction on I-10 from I-12 to Kenner, and on I-12 from O neal to I-59! In the meantime, can the City/State consider a law that would require semis to stay in the right lane and restrict their speeds to 55mph on those sections of I-10 and I-12 through urban areas. This seems to work on the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge.

[hagetaka]

Just the thought of the project is scary. I'll drop my opinion on this, but only progressive cities build loops in the 2000's. Bypass is a thing from back when, if you don't have one you not getting one. I'll watch as the story plays out but I refuse to believe it until it is done.

BR should expand some of these narrow roads we call streets and that will help alot. I-10 is only congested because some of our major roads are 2 lanes. Oh well. I won't dig into this, BR will do what BR wants to do. Better late than never, i tell ya , ...

[brresident]

Our legislature needs to respond to the rash of fatal crashes recently involving semis.

Most of them are drunk, and they all drive like assholes. A friend of mine's father works for a national trucking company. He tells me scary statistics....drugs, assult, heavy drinking, and unions that downplay accidents.

I have been trying for a whole year to get officials to limit truckers to the right lane only on freeways in this state. Liscences are to easy to get, and are not renewed often enough. Our state troppers don't enforce lane disipline, and don't bother pulling over truckers.

I-10 is just one giant traffic jam from Florida to Texas. Every cluster-uck you come across is caused by an eighteen wheeler trying to pass another. Traffic backs up behind them, and when they try to move over, they sometimes take out two or three cars. Limit these beotchs to the right lane only. There is no reason for them to move faster than 70 mph anyways. If they can't switch lanes, they can't run over passing cars.

I have been calling officials and trying to get them to keep the heavy trucks in the right lane on the freeways. It's implemented in parts of Florida and west Texas, and it works very well. If you are bored, please do so yourself. The state police don't enforce the "right lane only" on the basin bridge anymore since their have been no catastrophic accidents on that particular stretch recently (coincidence?).

I was involved in an accident with a drunk semi driver last year in Livingston who ran a traffic light and T-boned my girlfriend's Accord (Range avenue/ interstate onramp intersection). Luckily, it was a low speed accident with no injuries, but the trucker got out and acted like a complete ass to my girlfriend until I was able to crawl out of the sunroof. Just note that he was dressed in typical trucker attire. You can tell he was surprised that there was still someone in the car...someone male and alot bigger than him. He saw my face and started heading back to his truck. I would have gotten out sooner, but there was a Peterbuilt stuck in my door and I had glass all over me. Sometimes you get the urge to break someone in half....all I can say is that it would be worth him trying something with us just to see what what bone I'd break first.

He blew twice the legal limit for intoxication. His company didn't even fire him. I gotta calm down now, but I encourage you do please call the local state police troop and local officals to implement some more standards.

If troopers want to meet their quotas, they need to start camping out in unmarked cars near truck stops. Look for erratic driving. I'd appreciate if they leave the traditional motorist who might be speeding 5 or 10 over the limit alone, and start going after the real problem. Causing a deadly accident while speeding or running a stop light is an accident....causing a deadly accident by driving drunk is murder.

[richyb83]

The maps I have seen recently it would not go that far to the west. They have the western section of the proposed loop as part of U.S.Hwy. 190 Bridge(Airline Hwy) "upgraded" to Interstate Standards and hook back to Hwy 415 or paralelling it? Also Hwy. 415 would be extended across the Intracoastal Waterway.

With the Audubon Bridge being built between St.Francisville and New Roads; I don't ever see another Bridge being built between it and Hwy190/Airline.

Yall are right about those big rigs. They need to implement the rule they have on I-75 in rural Florida; no big rigs in the left lane on the 6-lane interstate.(Like the Atchafaylaya) Those dudes are drunk, on meth, or falling asleep.

[dan326]

Here's the updated plan. There is talk of moving it father south and adding yet another eastern connector.

[richyb83]

Thanks for posting this update Dan.

They should first start with the Ascension/WBR(southern/west section) first for hurricane evacuation purposes. People from the NOLA Metro headed west on I-10 could avoid the funneled grid-lock in an emergency!!! A northern section would do nothing for the I-10 funnel between the 10/12 split and the Miss. River bridge.

[brresident]

Not sure if this was part of it or whatever....but I read somewhere that they may be extending LA1 in Pointe Coupee parish from HWY 190 to Interstate 10. I imagine that would spark a lot of residential development out there.

[BRPJ]

This is my proposed path of what should be the FIRST built portion of the loop on the southern side of the city

This is my master plan for the future Baton Rouge Metro Area. I think the city should develop within the parish, and expand heavily towards the north side, some what where central is, where there is much undeveloped land. Either gobble central up, or annex and develop all the land to the north and east of the B.R. present city limits encompassing all land around baker and central. The 410 loop should expand northward around the city up through Zachary.

I actually think the northern portion of the loop should actually be running through zachary but i could not get the full view of the map that I was hoping for.

I think once all this expansion has occurred or while its occuring, A tollway system should be developed. The 100, a North-South Connector, and the 200, the East west connector. With the loop around the entire Metropolitan area and the tollway system connecting the east and the west, also connecting north and south, the center of the city traffic would flow easily through the booming metro area. Also I-110 Should be expanded northward to connect with

I 410, and on northward thru Zachary and to the perimiter of the Parish.

This rendition does the system way more justice, because of the bigger view you can see why the tollways are more essential to the cross highway system. And also I made modifications to the grid, and future grid system so the roads would link one side of town to the other. I also color coded the city's expansion, as well as whee the subrubs should likely expand

From

[cajun]

Wow. I didn't realize how massive this project is going to be.

I think the traffic is worse on I-10/I12 corridor (Covington to Lafayette) than it is anywhere else....so I think the northern loop should be done first. At least that way, you already have the hwy 190 bridge to work with. It could possibly get done quicker, also.

After that, definately the southwest portion (WBR to Prarieville/Gonzales) should be built. I'd also like to see a Mississippi River bridge somewhere around Bluebonnet, or the Staring lane extension to somewhere around Brusly. The Southwest portion would benefit more the farther upriver it is placed. I am not totally sure, they way that I55 is configured, that the southeast portion should be a top priorty over the southwest portion (NO to Lafayette) or the northern portion. Either way, a wider I-10 btw the Split and Highland Road is needed right now.

So, if they only built one portion, my vote would be for the northern portion. I think it's the most needed right now, and the proposed route is the shortest, which will likely mean that it will be more attractive to people passing through and using the current interstate system in Baton Rouge. Also, it would add another way to get from, say, northern livingston parish (fast growing watson), central, zachary, etc to the business districts in the city (LSU, downtown, College Drive) without using I12.

[richyb83]

Thanks BRPJ for your hard work and vision with those prefered traffic routes. I like the maps alot! No doubt all that would improve traffic-flow dramatically!!! A new bridge connecting around Addis/Brusly would be great!!!

The Loop looks great with the connectors too But too many established neighborhoods along the N-S 100 Connector would go thru: Cedarcrest, Broadmoor, Villa del Rey/Red Oaks, and Park Forest. All those residents would not let that happen.

Years ago a southern by-pass failed bec. it was going across the heart wildlife preserve Bulff/Alligator Swamp/Spanish Lake. So the southern edges would probably be knocked down South a few miles following the Hwy.74 route.

Do yall think another "new" bridge would be built between the new Audubon Bridge(New Roads/St.Francisville) currently being worked on now?? and the Hwy.190(Airline Hwy) bridge??

I think the eastern edge of the loop will be further out between Walker and Satsuma.

There definetly needs to be another bridge crossing the Amite into Denham Springs. A bridge on So.Harrel's Ferry Rd. makes alot of sense.

>>I'm curious to know what suburban Prairieville people in there new $400,000 houses will think of the loop going in their backyards??

[cajun]

Do yall think another "new" bridge would be built between the new Audubon Bridge(New Roads/St.Francisville) currently being worked on now?? and the Hwy.190(Airline Hwy) bridge??

I think that if the US 190 bridge was updated and all needed overhauls to keep it standing for another 70 years is done, then it will be sufficient. New Roads and St. Francisville are kind of self sustaining. Zachary and Backer are kind of tied into the Baton Rouge economy, so I don't see a need to be connected to WBR or Pointe Coupee in yet another bridge. If the Audubon bridge wasn't a reality, then I'd say otherwise.

I'd like to see a new bridge over the Mississippi River connecting south Baton Rouge with Ibberville/WBR somewhere in the area between Plaquemine and Addis on the westbank and between Baton Rouge and St. Gabriel on the east bank. If the wanted to tie it into a loop, then they could. I do think that another way to cross the Mississippi River for those on the westbank other than I10 is needed...and I think the Addis area, probably not far from Dow Chemical, is a good spot. They'd have to meander around spanish lake and try not to piss off the Country Club people (environmental concern my ass). Pretty much exactly like how BRPJ did on that map is how I think the southern loop should be done....but I'd keep the Northern loop tied in with the US 190 bridge and go the route that Dan mentioned.

Just my $0.02.