Interstate 49 in Louisiana

Interstate 49
Opened sections of I-49 in Louisiana highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by Louisiana DOTD
Length:	243.13 mi[1] (391.28 km) 239.25 miles (385.04 km) opened[2]
Existed:	1984 – present
Major junctions
South end:	I-10 / US 167 in Lafayette
	US 190 in Opelousas US 167 north of Opelousas US 71 / US 167 in Alexandria US 71 / US 165 in Alexandria US 371 south of Evelyn US 84 east of Mansfield I-20 in Shreveport I-220 in Shreveport US 71 between Gilliam and Hosston
North end:	I-49 at the Arkansas state line
Highway system
Interstate Highway System Main Auxiliary Suffixed Business Louisiana Highway System Interstate US State ← LA 48 LA 49 →

Interstate 49 near Chopin

Interstate 49 (I-49) is an Interstate Highway that spans a total of 243.13 miles (391.28 km) in a north–south direction in the U.S. state of Louisiana.^[1][3] It runs from I-10 in Lafayette to the Arkansas state line north of Shreveport, largely paralleling the older US 71 corridor, and connects the state's two east–west interstates at two of its metropolitan centers. Along the way, it serves the cities of Opelousas, Alexandria, and Natchitoches, intersecting several cross-state highways, such as US 190, US 167, US 165, US 84, and I-20. 5.25 miles (8.45 km) of the route is still under construction between I-220 and LA 1 on the northwest side of Shreveport,^[1] necessitating a detour via I-220 and US 71/LA 1. The project is scheduled for completion in the summer or fall of 2017.^[4]

I-49 was an intrastate Interstate Highway until December 12, 2012, when the designation was officially approved for an upgraded portion of US 71 in Missouri running from Joplin north to Kansas City.^[5] Portions of the remaining roadway between Shreveport and Joplin are in various stages of planning or construction, as well as a southern extension of the route from Lafayette to New Orleans along the US 90 corridor.

Route description

I-49 begins its journey in Lafayette concurrent with U.S. Route 167 from I-10 to Opelousas at Exit 23. At Lafayette, motorists continuing southbound see the interstate highway change to U.S. 90 (Evangeline Thruway), a major thoroughfare taking travelers towards the heart of Lafayette. North of Lafayette, motorists on I-49 will parallel the ancient Mississippi river bed north of Carencro, and through Grand Coteau, just south of Opelousas.

After leaving Opelousas, I-49 traverses the relatively flat, fertile farmlands until reaching Alexandria. From there, the highway roughly follows the Red River and Louisiana 1, bypassing the historic city of Natchitoches to the west on its way to Shreveport. At Shreveport, the highway parallels a railroad line just to the west until its terminus at I-20 southwest of downtown.

The heaviest traffic on I-49 occurs within the cities of Shreveport and Opelousas. The stretch of freeway in Shreveport sees an average of 70,000 vehicles per day, while the stretch of freeway between Lafayette and Carencro sees an average of 55,000 vehicles per day, and the stretch of freeway through Opelousas sees an average of 45,000 vehicles per day between the Judson Walsh Drive and Creswell Lane exits.

History

The original plans for Interstate Highways in Louisiana only included I-10 and I-20 with no connection in between. After I-55 was added in the 1950s, the state considered building a toll road to connect I-10 in southwestern Louisiana and I-20 in the northern part of the state, but later rejected the idea.

In the mid-1970s, the Federal Highway Administration approved an Interstate Highway to run between I-10 and I-20, beginning at I-10 in Lafayette and ending at I-20 in Shreveport. The mileage was gained from mileage released from other highways the states did not build as well as 153 miles (246 km) from a supplemental reserve.^[6]

Construction of I-49 began in the early 1980s, with the first signed segment from I-10 to Washington, Louisiana, opening in 1984. After several delays, most of the highway was open by the early 1990s. The entire length of the 212-mile (341 km) road was completed May 1, 1996, when a 16.6-mile (26.7 km) section of highway in Alexandria named the Martin Luther King Jr. Highway was completed. The total cost of I-49's construction was about $1.38 billion.

Interstate 49 North is a 36-mile (58 km) construction project that will connect I-220 in Shreveport to the Arkansas state line. This project has been divided into 11 segments. Of the 11 segments, 10 are complete and one is under construction as of January 2015, and $460 million of $622 million needed to complete the project has been secured. An 18.9-mile (30.4 km) section between Louisiana Highway 1 (LA 1) and US 71 opened on November 27, 2013;^[7] the section to just south of the Arkansas state line opened in March 2014.^[8] The segment from Shreveport to the Arkansas state line was opened in early 2015.^[9]

Future

I-49 Geaux South

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (La DOTD) is currently working to extend I-49 from its current terminus in Lafayette south and east to New Orleans along the existing US 90 corridor. The project is officially referred to as the "Interstate 49 Geaux South" program, or more commonly, "I-49 South".^[10] This portion of US 90 is presently a divided four- and six-lane highway with several sections of freeway completed between Broussard and Raceland. In the New Orleans area, I-49 is planned to follow US 90 Bus. (the Westbank Expressway) through Westwego, Gretna, and across the Mississippi River via the Crescent City Connection to a terminus at I-10 in the New Orleans Central Business District. "Future I-49" signage is visible along this portion of the corridor, although as of 2015, construction has yet to begin. There are many obstacles in the completion of the I-49 corridor in Louisiana. Cost has been an ongoing issue from the beginning, and this only increases yearly. In September 2015, however, La DOTD Secretary Sherri H. LeBas stated, "Completing I-49 South is a top priority for DOTD".^[11]

Future corridor I-49 sign in Lafayette, LA

In the Lafayette area, the project is divided into two projects, the "I-49 Connector" and the rest of the interstate from the Lafayette Regional Airport to LA 88. The I-49 Connector has a record of decision and is currently in the process of formulating the Environmental Impact Study.^[11] It is projected to follow the existing path of the Evangeline Thruway, a divided six-lane surface roadway that passes just to the east of the downtown area. Much of the proposed 5.5 miles (8.9 km) will be elevated and is expected to cost between $750 and $850 million, making it the costliest portion of the entire 160-mile (260 km) route to be constructed. As of October 2015, engineer planning has not begun, nor has funding been secured for the project.^[12] The remainder of the distance between the airport and LA 88 is planned to be a six-lane at-grade freeway with a 2-mile (3.2 km) segment of eight-lane elevated freeway through the neighboring city of Broussard. The planning is in cooperation with the Lafayette Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO).^[13]

In April 2015, La. DOTD accepted proposals for an upcoming design-build project to construct an interchange at the junction of US 90 and LA 318, which is located in St. Mary Parish between Jeanerette and Baldwin. LA 318 travels southward from the St. Mary Sugar Co-Op on LA 182 at Sorrel and crosses US 90 at grade on the way to the Port of West St. Mary. The interchange is one of many projects along the projected I-49 corridor that is expected to improve traffic flow, safety, and hurricane evacuation.^[14]

Shreveport area

La DOTD is also in the process of closing the last gap in the "I-49 North" project between I-20 and LA 1 in Shreveport. The portion north of I-220, which includes an interchange with LA 3194, is under construction with an estimated completion date in the summer or fall of 2017.^[4] Several options are under consideration to complete the remaining portion of I-49 south of I-220. A direct connection, known as the Inner City Connector, is controversial since its path is projected through the residential Allendale neighborhood, which would necessitate the displacement of many of its residents. A no-build alternative would route through traffic via the existing LA 3132 (Inner Loop Expressway) and I-220 alignments after necessary improvements to those highways are carried out.^[15][16][17] On March 5, 2016, a small group of Allendale residents known as the LOOP-IT group held a rally to protest against the Inner City Connector but voiced support for a business boulevard serving local traffic.^[18]

Exit list

Parish	Location	mi[3]	km	Exit	Destinations	Notes
Lafayette	Lafayette	0.0	0.0		US 167 south – Lafayette	Southern terminus; southern end of US 167 overlap
		0.0– 0.6	0.0– 0.97	1	I-10 – Lake Charles, Baton Rouge	Signed as exits 1A (east) and 1B (west); exit 103 on I-10
		1.0– 1.6	1.6– 2.6	1C	Pont Des Mouton Road
	Lafayette–Carencro line	2.5– 3.2	4.0– 5.1	2	LA 98 (Gloria Switch Road)
	Carencro	4.5– 5.1	7.2– 8.2	4	LA 726 – Carencro	Eastern terminus of LA 726
	​	7.4– 8.1	11.9– 13.0	7	LA 182 (North University Avenue)
St. Landry	Grand Coteau	11.1– 11.8	17.9– 19.0	11	LA 93 – Sunset, Grand Coteau
	Opelousas	15.8– 16.4	25.4– 26.4	15	LA 3233 (Harry Guilbeau Road)	Eastern terminus of LA 3233
		17.4– 18.0	28.0– 29.0	17	Judson Walsh Drive
		18.7– 19.2	30.1– 30.9	18	LA 31 (Creswell Lane)
	​	19.5– 20.3	31.4– 32.7	19	US 190 – Opelousas, Baton Rouge	Signed as exits 19A (east) and 19B (west) northbound
	​	23.5– 24.1	37.8– 38.8	23	US 167 north / LA 744 – Ville Platte	Northern end of US 167 concurrency; western terminus of LA 744
	Washington	25.4– 25.7	40.9– 41.4	25	LA 103 – Washington, Port Barre
	​	27.4– 28.2	44.1– 45.4	27	LA 10 (LA 182) – Lebeau
	​				Rest area	Interchange with access across I-49
Evangeline	No major junctions
St. Landry	​	40.4– 41.0	65.0– 66.0	40	LA 29 – Ville Platte
Evangeline	No major junctions
Avoyelles	​	46.9– 47.6	75.5– 76.6	46	LA 106 – St. Landry, Bunkie
	​	53.8– 54.5	86.6– 87.7	53	LA 115 – Bunkie
Evangeline	No major junctions
Rapides	​	56.9– 57.7	91.6– 92.9	56	LA 181 – Cheneyville
	​	61.4– 62.1	98.8– 99.9	61	US 167 – Turkey Creek, Meeker
	Lecompte	66.9– 67.5	107.7– 108.6	66	LA 112 – Forest Hill, Lecompte
	Woodworth	73.5– 74.3	118.3– 119.6	73	LA 3265 / PR 22 – Woodworth	Eastern terminus of LA 3265
	​	80.4– 81.5	129.4– 131.2	80	US 71 / US 167 south (MacArthur Drive)	Southern end of US 71 Byp. / US 167 overlap; no direct southbound exit to US 71 north (signed at exit 81)
	Alexandria	82.3	132.4	81	LA 3250 (Sugarhouse Road)	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
		83.7– 84.5	134.7– 136.0	83	Broadway Avenue
		84.9– 85.8	136.6– 138.1	84	US 167 north / LA 28 east (Pineville Expressway) / LA 1 (Casson Street)	Northern end of US 167 overlap; southern end of LA 28 overlap; no direct southbound exit to LA 1 (signed at exit 85A)
		85.2– 86.5	137.1– 139.2	85A	M.L. King Drive / Elliott Street – Downtown Alexandria
		85.8	138.1	85B	Monroe Street / Medical Center Drive	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
		86.6– 87.6	139.4– 141.0	86	US 71 / US 165 / LA 28 west (MacArthur Drive)	Northern end of US 71 Byp. / LA 28 overlap; US 71 exit 71
		90.5– 91.3	145.6– 146.9	90	LA 498 (Air Base Road)	Western terminus of LA 498; to Alexandria International Airport
	Rapides	94.8– 95.6	152.6– 153.9	94	PR 23 (Rapides Station Road)
	​	98.9– 99.1	159.2– 159.5	98	LA 1 – Boyce	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
	​	99.8– 100.7	160.6– 162.1	99	LA 8 east / LA 1200 – Boyce	Southern end of LA 8 concurrency
	Rodemacher	103.5– 104.1	166.6– 167.5	103	LA 8 west – Flatwoods	Northern end of LA 8 concurrency
	Lena	108.0– 108.8	173.8– 175.1	107	Lena
Natchitoches	Chopin	113.9– 114.7	183.3– 184.6	113	LA 490 – Chopin
	Derry	119.4– 120.2	192.2– 193.4	119	LA 119 – Cloutierville
	Cypress	127.9– 128.8	205.8– 207.3	127	LA 120 – Flora, Cypress
	Natchitoches	133.0– 133.7	214.0– 215.2	132	LA 478
		138.4– 139.0	222.7– 223.7	138	LA 6 – Many, Natchitoches
	​	143.1– 143.8	230.3– 231.4	142	PR 547 (Posey Road)
	Allen	149.0– 149.9	239.8– 241.2	148	LA 485 – Allen, Powhatan
	​	155.4– 156.3	250.1– 251.5	155	LA 174 – Ajax, Lake End
De Soto	​	163.0– 163.7	262.3– 263.4	162	US 371 / LA 177 – Pleasant Hill, Coushatta	Southern terminus of US 371
	​	170.0– 170.8	273.6– 274.9	169	Asseff Road
	​	173.1– 173.8	278.6– 279.7	172	US 84 – Mansfield, Grand Bayou
	​	177.8– 178.4	286.1– 287.1	177	LA 509 – Carmel
	​	186.7– 187.3	300.5– 301.4	186	LA 175 – Kingston, Frierson
	​	191.9– 192.6	308.8– 310.0	191	LA 3276 / PR 16 – Stonewall	Eastern terminus of LA 3276
Caddo	​	197.1– 197.8	317.2– 318.3	196	Southern Loop
	Shreveport	199.9– 200.8	321.7– 323.2	199	LA 526 (West Bert Kouns Industrial Loop)
		201.3– 202.4	324.0– 325.7	201	LA 3132 (Inner Loop Expressway) – Dallas, Texarkana	LA 3132 exit 7
		203.3– 203.8	327.2– 328.0	202	LA 511 (East 70th Street)
		204.2– 204.8	328.6– 329.6	203	Hollywood Avenue, Pierremont Road
		206.0– 206.6	331.5– 332.5	205	Kings Highway
		206.9– 207.6	333.0– 334.1	206	I-20 – Dallas, Monroe	No northbound entrance; numbered as exits 206A and 206B; exit 17B on I-20
		207.6	334.1	206C	Pete Harris Drive, Murphy Street	Northbound exit and southbound entrance only
		Temporary gap
					I-220 – Dallas, Monroe	Under construction; scheduled to open by summer or fall 2017[4]
					LA 3194 (MLK Drive)	Under construction; scheduled to open by summer or fall 2017[4]
	​			215	LA 1 (North Market Street)	Northbound entrance and southbound exit only, pending completion of southern extension
	​			221	LA 173 – Blanchard, Dixie
	​			223	LA 169 – Mooringsport
	​			228	LA 530 – Oil City, Belcher
	​			231	LA 170 – Vivian, Gilliam
	​			234	US 71 – Hosston, Gilliam
	​			237	LA 2 – Hosston, Plain Dealing
	​			241	PR 16 – Mira
	​			245	LA 168 – Rodessa, Ida
	​				I-49 north – Texarkana	Arkansas state line
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus       Incomplete access       Unopened

References

External links

Route map: Bing / Google

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Interstate 49.

• Interstate Guide: I-49
• I-49 Energy Corridor
• I-49 North (Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development)
• I-49 Report
• Interstate49.org
• I-49 Inner-City Connector-Shreveport
• I-49 Inner City Connector map (Shreveport, LA)
• I-49 Connector (Lafayette, LA)
• Future I-49 South Pictures (Stephen Gantry)
• Future I-49 South Pictures (Andy P. Jung)

Interstate 49
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