Interstate 49 in Louisiana

Interstate 49
Opened sections of I-49 in Louisiana highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by Louisiana DOTD
Length	247.219 mi[2] (397.860 km) 244.021 miles (392.714 km) opened[a]
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 Arkansas state line north of Ida
Location
Parishes	Lafayette, St. Landry, Evangeline, Avoyelles, Rapides, Natchitoches, DeSoto, Caddo
Highway system
Interstate Highway System Main Auxiliary Suffixed Business Future Louisiana Highway System Interstate US State Scenic ← LA 48 LA 49 →

Interstate 49 near Chopin

Interstate 49 (I-49) is an Interstate Highway that spans 243.36 miles (391.65 km) in a north–south direction in the U.S. state of Louisiana.^[2] 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.

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.^[3] 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[edit]

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.^[4]

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.^[4]

On the north side of Shreveport, the route resumes at I-220 before having interchanges with LA 3194 and LA 1 before traveling northward through Caddo Parish, passing between the small communities of Gilliam and Hosston. I-49 crosses the Arkansas state line just north of Ida and proceeds toward the city of Texarkana.^[5]

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[edit]

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, and has been divided into 11 segments. On November 27, 2013, the first 18.9-mile (30.4 km) section between Louisiana Highway 1 (LA 1) and US 71 opened to traffic;^[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] the portion between I-220 and LA 1, which includes an interchange with LA 3194, was estimated to be completed in early 2018. 4.25 miles (6.84 km) of this section, extending from LA 3194 to LA 1, was opened only to northbound traffic on May 31, 2017.^[10] On June 15, 2018, the entire 5.25-mile (8.45 km) portion of I-49 between I-220 and LA 1, including an interchange with I-220, was opened to traffic, with the remaining interchange ramps expected to be completed in the late summer or early fall.^[11] On October 17, 2018, the remaining interchange ramps were opened to traffic.^[12]

Future[edit]

I-49 Geaux South[edit]

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".^[13] 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.^{[citation needed]} If this extension is completed I-49 will meet I-10 twice but 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.^{[citation needed]} In September 2015, however, La DOTD Secretary Sherri H. LeBas stated, "Completing I-49 South is a top priority for DOTD".^[14]

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.^[14] 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;^[15] 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.^{[citation needed]} The planning is in cooperation with the Lafayette Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO).^[16]

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.^[17] On April 27, 2018, LaDOTD celebrated the opening of the junction of US 90 and LA 318 with a ribbon cutting ceremony. ^[18]

Shreveport area[edit]

La DOTD is also in the process of closing the last gap in the "I-49 North" project between I-20 and I-220 in Shreveport. A direct connection through Shreveport, known as the Inner City Connector, is controversial since its path is projected to pass 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.^[19][20][21] 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.^[22]

Exit list[edit]

Parish	Location	mi[2]	km	Exit	Destinations	Notes
Lafayette	Lafayette	0.000– 0.657	0.000– 1.057	1A–B	I-10 – Baton Rouge, Lake Charles US 167 south – Lafayette	Southern terminus; southern end of US 167 concurrency; signed as exits 1A (east) and 1B (west); exit 103 on I-10
		0.926– 1.684	1.490– 2.710	1C	Pont Des Mouton Road
	Lafayette–Carencro line	2.520– 3.249	4.056– 5.229	2	LA 98 (Gloria Switch Road)
	Carencro	4.463– 5.108	7.183– 8.221	4	LA 726 – Carencro	Eastern terminus of LA 726; to LA 1252 via frontage roads
		7.369– 8.182	11.859– 13.168	7	LA 182
St. Landry	Grand Coteau	11.095– 11.853	17.856– 19.076	11	LA 93 – Grand Coteau, Sunset
	Opelousas	15.804– 16.406	25.434– 26.403	15	LA 3233 (Harry Guilbeau Road)	Eastern terminus of LA 3233
		17.316– 17.973	27.867– 28.925	17	Judson Walsh Drive
		18.619– 19.213	29.964– 30.920	18	LA 31 (Creswell Lane)	To Evangeline Downs Racetrack & Casino
	​	19.453– 20.346	31.307– 32.744	19	US 190 – Opelousas, Baton Rouge	Signed northbound as exits 19A (east) and 19B (west)
	​	23.265– 24.075	37.441– 38.745	23	US 167 north / LA 744 – Ville Platte	Northern end of US 167 concurrency; western terminus of LA 744
	Washington	25.376– 25.695	40.839– 41.352	25	LA 103 – Washington, Port Barre
	​	27.378– 28.256	44.061– 45.474	27	LA 10 – Lebeau	To Washington via LA 10 west; LA 10 is concurrent with LA 182 (not signed here)
	​	34.610– 35.311	55.699– 56.828	Grand Prairie Rest Area
Evangeline	No major junctions
St. Landry	​	40.263– 40.951	64.797– 65.904	40	LA 29 – Ville Platte
Evangeline	No major junctions
Avoyelles	​	46.851– 47.538	75.399– 76.505	46	LA 106 – St. Landry	LA 106 eastbound to Bunkie, westbound to Chicot State Park and Louisiana State Arboretum
	Bunkie	53.656– 54.490	86.351– 87.693	53	LA 115 – Bunkie
Evangeline	No major junctions
Rapides	​	56.841– 57.580	91.477– 92.666	56	LA 181 – Cheneyville
	​	61.280– 62.015	98.621– 99.803	61	US 167 – Meeker, Turkey Creek
	Lecompte	66.754– 67.399	107.430– 108.468	66	LA 112 – Lecompte, Forest Hill
	Woodworth	73.333– 74.251	118.018– 119.495	73	LA 3265 / PR 22 – Woodworth	Eastern terminus of LA 3265; western terminus of PR 22
	Alexandria	80.250– 81.461	129.150– 131.099	80	US 71 / US 167 south (MacArthur Drive) US 71 Byp. begins	Southern end of US 71 Byp. / US 167 concurrency; no southbound exit to US 71 north (signed at exit 81) or northbound entrance from southbound US 71; exit 63 on US 71
		82.159– 82.198	132.222– 132.285	81	LA 3250 (Sugarhouse Road) to US 71 north (MacArthur Drive)	Northbound entrance and southbound exit
		83.586– 84.412	134.519– 135.848	83	Broadway Avenue
		84.693– 85.617	136.300– 137.787	84	US 167 north / LA 28 east (Pineville Expressway) / LA 1 (Casson Street)	Northern end of US 167 concurrency; southern end of LA 28 concurrency; no southbound exit to LA 1 (signed at exit 85A); to LA 28 Bus. via LA 1 west
		85.034– 86.369	136.849– 138.997	85A	M. L. King Drive / Elliott Street to LA 1 – Downtown Alexandria	Signed northbound as M. L. King Drive, southbound as Elliott Street to LA 1
		85.637– 85.715	137.819– 137.945	85B	Monroe Street / Medical Center Drive	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
		86.395– 87.406	139.039– 140.666	86	US 71 / US 165 / LA 28 west (MacArthur Drive) US 71 Byp. ends	Northern end of US 71 Byp. / LA 28 concurrency; exit 71 on US 71
		90.300– 91.253	145.324– 146.857	90	LA 498 (Air Base Road)	Western terminus of LA 498; to Alexandria International Airport (England Airpark)
	Boyce	94.579– 95.470	152.210– 153.644	94	PR 23 (Rapides Station Road)	Location also known as Rapides
		98.700– 98.926	158.842– 159.206	98	LA 1 – Boyce	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
		99.528– 100.587	160.175– 161.879	99	LA 8 east / LA 1200 – Boyce	Southern end of LA 8 concurrency; to Colfax via LA 8 east
	Rodemacher	103.353– 103.923	166.331– 167.248	103	LA 8 west – Flatwoods	Northern end of LA 8 concurrency; to LA 1 via LA 8 Spur (signed as LA 8)
	Lena	107.728– 108.598	173.371– 174.772	107	Lena
Natchitoches	Chopin	113.719– 114.539	183.013– 184.333	113	LA 490 – Chopin
	Derry	119.223– 120.090	191.871– 193.266	119	LA 119 – Cloutierville	To Gorum via LA 119 west
	Cypress	127.708– 128.661	205.526– 207.060	127	LA 120 – Cypress, Flora	To Cane River Creole National Historical Park / Oakland Plantation
	Natchitoches	132.770– 133.455	213.673– 214.775	132	LA 478
		138.215– 138.858	222.435– 223.470	138	LA 6 – Natchitoches, Many	To Toledo Bend Reservoir and Northwestern State University
	​	142.865– 143.564	229.919– 231.044	142	PR 547 (Posey Road)
	Allen	148.728– 149.745	239.355– 240.991	148	LA 485 – Allen, Powhatan
	​	155.164– 156.113	249.712– 251.240	155	LA 174 – Ajax, Lake End
DeSoto	​	162.671– 163.519	261.794– 263.158	162	US 371 / LA 177 – Pleasant Hill, Coushatta	Southern terminus of US 371
	​	169.743– 170.574	273.175– 274.512	169	Asseff Road
	​	172.814– 173.608	278.117– 279.395	172	US 84 – Grand Bayou, Mansfield	To Mansfield State Historic Site and Toledo Bend State Park
	​	177.594– 178.219	285.810– 286.816	177	LA 509 – Carmel
	​	186.302– 187.097	299.824– 301.103	186	LA 175 – Kingston, Frierson
	Stonewall	191.639– 192.345	308.413– 309.549	191	LA 3276 / PR 16 – Stonewall	Eastern terminus of LA 3276; western terminus of PR 16
Caddo	​	196.779– 197.613	316.685– 318.027	196	Southern Loop
	Shreveport	199.616– 200.532	321.251– 322.725	199	LA 526 (Bert Kouns-Industrial Loop)
		200.891– 202.063	323.303– 325.189	201	LA 3132 – Dallas, Texarkana	Exit 7 on LA 3132 (Inner Loop Expressway)
		202.907– 203.538	326.547– 327.563	202	LA 511 (East 70th Street)
		203.823– 204.497	328.021– 329.106	203	Hollywood Avenue, Pierremont Road
		205.578– 206.298	330.846– 332.004	205	Kings Highway
		206.515– 207.273	332.354– 333.574	206	I-20 – Monroe, Dallas	No northbound entrance; to Bossier City via I-20 east; exit 17B on I-20
		207.293	333.606		Pete Harris Drive, Murphy Street	At-grade intersection
		Gap in route; through traffic directed via exit 206 to I-20 west and I-220 east
		210.491– 211.583	338.752– 340.510	210	I-220 – Monroe, Dallas	Exit 6 on I-220; signed as exits 210A (east) & 210B (west)
		212.112– 212.702	341.361– 342.311	211	LA 3194 (Dr. M. L. King, Jr. Drive)
	​	215.917– 216.622	347.485– 348.619	215	LA 1 (North Market Street)
	​	221.488– 222.166	356.450– 357.542	221	LA 173 – Dixie, Blanchard
	​	223.430– 224.162	359.576– 360.754	223	LA 169 – Mooringsport
	​	228.213– 229.146	367.273– 368.775	228	LA 530 – Belcher, Oil City
	​	231.503– 232.216	372.568– 373.715	231	LA 170 – Gilliam, Vivian
	​	234.262– 235.010	377.008– 378.212	234	US 71 – Hosston, Gilliam
	​	237.289– 238.249	381.880– 383.425	237	LA 2 – Hosston, Plain Dealing
	​	241.473– 242.007	388.613– 389.473	241	PR 16 – Mira
	Ida	245.145– 246.034	394.523– 395.953	245	LA 168 – Ida, Rodessa
	​	247.219	397.860		I-49 north – Texarkana	Continuation in Arkansas
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus       Incomplete access

See also[edit]

• Louisiana portal
• U.S. Roads portal

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

External links[edit]

Route map:

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Interstate 49.

• Maps / GIS Data Homepage, Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development
• I-49 North Project Home Page at La DOTD
• I-49 Inner-City Connector-Shreveport

Interstate 49
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