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fla_tiger

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2 hours ago, richyb83 said:

A "New " Bridge over the Mississippi always mentioned like these articles.....trying not to beat a Dead Horse....but AGAIN...The beautiful NEWLY built Audubon Bridge 30 miles North (St.Francisville/New Roads) has been an epic FAIL....While the Capital City Region languishes in unnecessary traffic gridlock...wasted opportunity...

In the late 1970s, New Roads and St. Francisville areas started pushing for a bridge (which, BTW is much lower and narrower than the bridge Baton Rouge needs).  It took them 40 years and a constitutional amendment tied to a bunch of road projects in New Orleans to get it.    

 

 

 

Just based on my observations.....in those 40 years, Baton Rouge faced 5 major problems that held it back in a major way.  

1.  No leadership:  It failed to produce leaders that could unite the capital area delegation behind one single mega project like an interstate loop or bridge.  This is basically shooting yourself in the foot every legislative session for 40 years at least when it comes to transportation and infrastructure.    You saw this recently with the interstate loop debacle or the painful derailment of the project to widen I-10 between the bridge and the 10/12 split.   They can't agree on which projects to support.   It's infuriating even today.    This is one of the reasons I started the posts mapping the project needs of the area - with the hope that some of you will participate and the off chance that someone actually sees the suggestions and starts talking about it.  

2.  Hostile State Government with resource constraints:   Despite the lack of infrastructure investment, East Baton Rouge finds itself as the largest parish in the state and the Capital Area actually gained on New Orleans in population.....making it a nearby economic competitor to the Crescent City, whose organized delegation will work with anyone to keep proportional power, investment, and influence out of Baton Rouge.  Every city in the state is fighting over the scraps, and Baton Rouge was often the common enemy politically until the past 5-6 years.   You saw this when the new governor redirected a giant federal grant earmarked for Baton Rouge to a freeway widening project in the middle of nowhere.  

3.  No Foresight:  Several generations of horrible planning has made things more difficult in Baton Rouge.   The impact of this can't be overstated.    There should never have been so much development allowed on Airline Highway.  There should be more development controls and restrictions.  The 10/12 split should not have been so far from downtown.   The 110/10 split should not be ONE LANE.   There should not be just one bridge over the Intracoastal Canal in West Baton Rouge.    Airline should not be 4 lanes in Baton Rouge anymore.  

4.  Sprawl:   Well meaning but heavy headed and poorly implemented federal policy involving schools gutted a major public service provider while the availability of FHA loans developed outlying areas.    Those policies did everything but pack the moving trucks for people moving to Ascension and Livingston.   It has not been addressed in earnest....but the impact of this is that everything with respect to transportation is more challenging and more painful.   

5.  Economic Development:  The 1980s oil bust should have sparked a concerted effort to diversify the economy..   Strides were made in the past 5-6 years....but they were 20 years late to really have an major impact on most of our lives.   Perhaps my children will see something different.   IBM is a major win, but I have doubts that they'll stick around.   We need 3 more projects just like that in Baton Rouge, plus a couple of manufacturing "wins".   Politics aside, the Jindal administration at least made an effort in this area.   It was not a "win" but IMO the cooperation between state, parish, and city officials to make a pitch to Hawker Beechcraft about 6-7 years ago was the first time I think we saw the type of cooperation the region has needed for 30 years.    We almost got that one.   Keep that up, and we'll see some real momentum.  

 

 

 

Some of the above problems are being addressed now.   Some are not.    IMO, a bridge is something that needs to happen.   It's best to get the ball rolling ASAP because it will take up to a decade to secure funding and build the darn thing.   In that time, the focus needs to shift to the many other projects the the capital area needs.

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Ideas to consider that may be implemented to relieve congestion until a new bridge can be constructed:

Build a ground level controlled access road 4 lanes  extending from LA 415/I-10 in WBR bypassing  Brusly/Addis with  Round a bouts at Plaquemine and Donaldsonville to connect with existing Sunshine Bridge and extending same controlled access 4 lanes to I- 10 north of Sorrento. 

Upgrade LA 10 to controlled access 4 road lanes from I-55 near Kentwood to I -49 near Washington, basically a north bypass for BR.

Extend I-110 north from it's end at US 61 to Zachary providing much needed relief from a very poorly maintained and  deteriorating LA 19.this could be part of future interstate extension from BR to Natchez and across to Vidalia north to Monroe and extending to Little Rock.

Extension of controlled access road along Choctaw Drive from I-110 east and extending from Central Thru way across Amite River north of Denham Springs and around Walker connecting to I-12.

Thoughts?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Nice imput y'all....a lot to consider.... solid points Cajun  & thanks for dropping by FlaTiger! :thumbsup:

Vision/Leadership sure was lacking  & rumor had it  back n the day  ole mayor Woody Dumas didn't want a legit by-pass...he wanted people to stop in BR and do business...Frustrating stuff...being landlocked with mighty river & swamp to the south didn't help either

While waiting for New Miss River Bridge...Westbank Expressway from WBR at Hwy 415 w new bridge over Intracoastal Waterway tying in all the way to I-310 in St. Charles Parish....

THEN.... the Southern by pass would tie into it near Brusly/Addis with "NEW" Miss River Bridge...to Hwy 30/Nicholson near La' auberge casino thru  industrial corridor to Tanger Mall/ I-10...This keeps LA's Largest Metro area (NOLA) away from the 10/12 split

The controlled access East/West road along  Choctaw sounds good...but a lot of it would have to be elevated...not sure how feasible that would be?  & the NIMBY's in all those new subdivisions in Denham Springs/Walker would fight it tooth n nail

Upgrading La 10 would be interesting...wonder how much new traffic it would generate?

Would still like to see the Ascension-Livingston Parkway

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On 10/21/2016 at 10:11 PM, fla_tiger said:

Ideas to consider that may be implemented to relieve congestion until a new bridge can be constructed:

Build a ground level controlled access road 4 lanes  extending from LA 415/I-10 in WBR bypassing  Brusly/Addis with  Round a bouts at Plaquemine and Donaldsonville to connect with existing Sunshine Bridge and extending same controlled access 4 lanes to I- 10 north of Sorrento. 

Upgrade LA 10 to controlled access 4 road lanes from I-55 near Kentwood to I -49 near Washington, basically a north bypass for BR.

Extend I-110 north from it's end at US 61 to Zachary providing much needed relief from a very poorly maintained and  deteriorating LA 19.this could be part of future interstate extension from BR to Natchez and across to Vidalia north to Monroe and extending to Little Rock.

Extension of controlled access road along Choctaw Drive from I-110 east and extending from Central Thru way across Amite River north of Denham Springs and around Walker connecting to I-12.

Thoughts?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Those are all great ideas.   I especially like the investment in LA10 and I-110.   Your access road south of LA415 could utilize the planned Interacoastal crossing that's supposed to be built in the next 5 years or so.   

Brusly has been trying to get the railroad tracks rerouted around the city.   Your LA415 extension south could just run along those tracks (which help reduce vehicular access to the road naturally).  

 

I might update my map of the west bank projects to include that.  

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Friday afternoon rush hour...actually pretty light. 

Capture.jpg

You can see clearly that the "gauntlet" between the 10/12 split and the 10/110 split is most in need of investment right now.   The narrow six lane section is functionally obsolete, features rough pavement, poor markings, and no shoulders or sound walls.  There is no getting around the fact that this particular section is the cause of major headaches for both commuters and truck traffic in the region.    I think an additional lane in both direction along with shoulders and major pavement and lighting overhauls are needed on that section, with continuous merge lanes between Acadian/College as well as the relocation of the Washington Street exist.   It's absolutely critical that the right hand lane on that eastbound section be continuous instead of abruptly ending right at existing Washington Street exit.   I also think there's a critical need for sound barriers between the 10/110 split and Dalrymple and again between E Lakeshore and Perkins.   Such a widening project would present the capital area residents and taxpayers with ample opportunity for aesthetic upgrades to the bridge over the lakes and to the freeway itself.

Some positive news: I think the congestion on I-10 between Essen and Highland appears to be caused by the "choke point" where it narrows at Highland.   That should be addressed within 3-4 years as they widen the freeway into Ascension Parish all the way to LA73 (which will become the new "choke point" until its widened to Gonzales)....however I caution that it won't be long before the proposed Midway interchange and additional lanes on I-10 will be required in and around the med/health district as more shopping and medical businesses expand in the area.  It's quite possible that those needs are already there right now.

Capture.jpg

 

I missed the worst of it about 45 minutes ago....but to illustrate the scale, this traffic jam is nearly 19 miles long, stretching from West Baton Rouge all the way to Highland near CCLA.   

Capture.jpg

 

Just another afternoon in Baton Rouge:

Capture.jpg

 

Capture.jpg

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And to prove that we are not utilizing some existing infrastructure enough.....here's a look at Airline at I-110

Capture.jpg

and the Huey Long bridge at the same time:

Capture.jpg

Both empty.   Because getting there from I-12 requires getting on Airline Highway.   

 

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Since Airline doesn't move very well (countless traffic lights, only 4 lanes most of the way, etc.), it still takes another 4 minutes to get from the west side at LA415 to Range in Denahm than just fighting traffic on the most direct route (I-10 over the new bridge to I-12) 

Airline.jpg

 

I_10.jpg

So on a typical day, all we have to do is cut two or three traffic light cycles out of Airline for the alternative "northern" route to be the faster route under current conditions.    There are at least 18 lights on Airline between I-12 and I-110.   Each run at either 45 or 60 second cycles.   It's common to sit through two cycles at Old Hammond and up to 3 at Tom drive.

So if a typical trip down Airline at this time means that any given driver sits through between 10 and 12 light cycles (and that's optimistic), that means they are spending 12-15 minutes just sitting in their car.    The speed limit on Airline is 45 mph, and there are multiple congestion points involving cars that are turning into and out of businesses along the route.

Imagine if the travel lanes of airline were moved to the edge of the right of way and a 4 lane freeway was placed in the newly expanded median.   The speed limit of Airline's "freeway" could be increased to 55 mph and all traffic lights avoided for through traffic. Local traffic would still be able to use the feeder lanes and those businesses would still have access.    That would make the northern route a better option right now to cross town - and that doesn't even include investment on the west side of the river, where there is ample space for a freeway connecting the old bridge to I-10 somewhere west of LA415 to avoid the bottleneck entirely.    I think up to 25 minutes could be shaved off of this trip easily with the eastern half of a hypothetical northern loop built within Airline Highway's right of way in EBR.   

That would not stop traffic issues east of Airline on I-12....but to those people travelling to Livingston and beyond, I think that an argument can be made that upgrading Florida east of Airline and west of the river to a freeway with service roads (which already exist today) would be an excellent alternative route to I-12.   

The best thing about these solutions are that the right of way already exists and it would require minimal interruption to existing business and property owners.   It may actually help create more visibility for businesses along Florida and Airline if it encourages more drivers to use the alternative route.

 

My conclusion is this:  Stop fighting over where to put the freeway loop.  The answer is already there....we just aren't utilizing our existing network appropriately because it's in the incorrect format after decades of neglect.  The Huey Long bridge is not properly utilized because it's too hard to get to from the existing freeway network.   It's too hard to get to because Airline's design format hasn't changed over the years.

Build this....

Airline.jpg

....and watch congestion ease between LA415 and Range Avenue while seeing more retail and travel-service business investment along Florida and Airline routes.    That's two major needs of Baton Rouge addressed with 1/2 of a loop.  

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Good stuff Cajun...thanks for going thru the effort with the nice illustrations & visuals....the stop & go on Airline Hwy only being 4 minutes different is eye opening!  Built in the 50's Airline Hwy was originally supposed to be a by-pass ....just before the explosive growth occurred in the 60's/70's...what a waste

That Friday Afternoon traffic on I-10 coming into BR is nasty!  Doesn't  take much to gridlock inept road system

In the mornings i don't get why traffic can come to a complete stop...then finally get moving...wondering WHY everybody stopped...No wreck or anything :dontknow:

I need to get started on some illustrations...still getting acclimated to Linux/Zorin etc

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On 10/30/2016 at 3:51 PM, Antrell Williams said:

 without demolition and that area is so unique to BR. 

They can easily widen it one lane in either direction there if they are willing to shut down the Perkins on ramp.   IMO that's not a bad compromise.   

This is one of those things that will have to happen regardless of how people along the route feel about it.   It's best to get on board an work with them.   Have a seat at the table and influence the decision.   The route also needs sound walls that should be demanded by the locals.   

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  • 4 weeks later...

Nerded out a while back and I wanted to share.   I decided to illustrate an alignment for a southern bypass with one of the most northern proposed bridge crossings suggested by the CRISIS team.   Took a few liberties with the eastern terminus location, but they were vague intentionally.  I ran a significant portion of the expressway alongside highway 30 parallel to the railroad tracks and utility easement.   

West_Side.png

South_West.png

South_Side.png

Eastern_Terminus.png

 

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43 minutes ago, cajun said:

Nerded out a while back and I wanted to share.   I decided to illustrate an alignment for a southern bypass with one of the most northern proposed bridge crossings suggested by the CRISIS team.   Took a few liberties with the eastern terminus location, but they were vague intentionally.  I ran a significant portion of the expressway alongside highway 30 parallel to the railroad tracks and utility easement.   

West_Side.png

South_West.png

South_Side.png

Eastern_Terminus.png

 

This would go such a long way in alleviating a lot of that traffic in the city center. It would have the added benefit of starting a ring road system, and bringing more development to Brusley and Geismar. 

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4 hours ago, dan326 said:

I like this route, my only concern is that it runs right over the Longwood plantation between Gardere and Bluebonnet.

Good catch.  

Perhaps there''s enough space to build a freeway with feeder roads between the railroad track and the development east of 30.  That would actually make the route easier since the freeway and exits would be on the side of the railroad tracks where everyone exists.  I'm sure the developers in EBR, Iberville, and Ascension would prefer it that way.   

That would make it look something like this cross section, with a new 4 lane highway 30 serving as a feeder road to the freeway that sits in the median.

cutaway_view.jpg

Of course I suppose the railroad and utilities can be moved west another 20 or so feet since there's almost nothing on the other side of the tracks.   It would be foolish to let something like that prevent a project that will probably cost over $1 billion with that bridge.   They only need it like that between Gardere and St. Gabriel.

This would also keep from disrupting Longwood and other historic properties.  Luckily the area above appears to be the tightest fit on the whole route.

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EXCELLENT WORK Cajun!!    Thanks for saving me the effort of drawing that up....that's almost exactly(90%?) what the Proposed Southern by-pass would look like....i had mine tied into the Hwy 415 dead end (w Fly overs) w new Intracoastal Bridge...but not sure there would be enough room with those hotels in WBR?  Yours being a lil' further West has more room to operate

Tight fit...but think it could be done near Longwood ...thanks for pointing that out...& not sure how close the route could be paralleling Hwy 30 Industrial corridor Geismar/St Gabriel

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1 hour ago, cajun said:

So how do we feel about Green Light 2?  

Just had a community meeting with both our metrocouncilman and the director for Green Light. I say yes. We need it. It will add much needed revenue and enhance the quality of our roads and such. A revenue jump from $1 million annually to $9 million is massive.

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If you zoom in and look at "P", it says "North Blvd - Florida Connector (Florida Blvd at Cloud Dr to North Blvd)."

What does that mean? 

Also, widening Glen Oaks Dr, is that necessary? 

Overall, looks really good to me. I like the concentration of aesthetic improvements in north Baton Rouge and elsewhere like S Sherwood Forest. I wonder what those improvements include? 

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4 minutes ago, Antrell Williams said:

If you zoom in and look at "P", it says "North Blvd - Florida Connector (Florida Blvd at Cloud Dr to North Blvd)."

What does that mean? 

Also, widening Glen Oaks Dr, is that necessary? 

Overall, looks really good to me. I like the concentration of aesthetic improvements in north Baton Rouge and elsewhere like S Sherwood Forest. I wonder what those improvements include? 

They are a bit vague in the descriptions.  

Also, it being a property tax occurring right before a new mayor takes over will make it a tough sell.  What happens when the new mayor decides they don't like S Sherwood and would rather fund something else with that revenue?  

On the surface, the proposed projects are mostly needed.  There are a few that are obvious "wheel grease" but they are relatively inexpensive. 

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13 hours ago, Antrell Williams said:

Can they defund this if they so choose? 

 

I'm not sure.  I think they can only borrow to build what they promised to taxpayers by law, but they can definitely prioritize what gets built first, etc.   I don't think there is much doubt that Baton Rouge still has local roads that needs to be improved.  That doesn't mean we don't have major state and federally funded projects that also need to be prioritized.   

I guess it depends on your confidence in the next mayor, who I hope can be a regional leader and unite the capital delegation around regional projects.

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