re: "Inner Loop" being studied, Mayor has a mad legislature wasn't clued in

quote:

---

And upgrading the old bridge to interstate standards is, alone, a 1.5 billion dollar project.

---

Not even sure it could be completely upgraded. That would require the highway widths to almost be doubled, and that would not add any capacity. You would still only have 2 lanes.

It would likely be cheaper to build a new one.

The problem with LA 73 is that they're turning it into three lanes along the same alignment. That's a nightmare. Airline would likely be upgraded/widened to the outside lanes and, for the most part, allow the same traffic operation (4 lanes) for most of the corridor.

The frontage roads would be new roads and signals, so those would be built on virgin ROW and would be free from the Airline traffic flow until opened.

Inner loop is better than nothing and it uses existing infrastructure.

I guess my beef is that it isn't about what is the best idea, it's about politicians getting the name on something and it benefitting certain constituents.

The inner loop does nothing for the problem with trucks coming through our state on i12 and getting into cluster fricks between airline and denham springs. It does help the bottleneck over the "new" bridge but the old bridge would need to be replaced either way. I doubt a new bridge is included in that $750m price tag.

So let say this happens. I have a real bad feeling that going from a 6 lane Airline Highway into frontage roads would create massive traffic backup. 6 lanes now, frontage roads = 2 lanes? BAD IDEA. Just build a loop to the south and get done with it.

quote:

---

Baton Rouge Urban Renewal and Mobility Plan

---

My, what attractive sounding words for something that is a detriment to urban renewal and mobility of things other than vehicles.

This inner loop option would be better than anything else proposed if done correctly.

They'd have to move the lanes of Airline highway out to the edge of the right of way and build a freeway in some areas in the median.....in places they can't, they can eliminate some traffic lights and build an overpass over the rail road at Choctaw.

That inner loop would serve as a hub in which spokes could be created to outlying areas. You'd have to improve Florida, make a bridge at Hooper and H. ferry, etc. to improve access to the city from the suburbs.

I think it can be done.

quote:

---

Well then frick that. If it's not true limited access, then what's the point? Build overpasses over the major intersections if necessary... the biggest ones (I-110, Plank Rd., Greenwell Springs Rd., Florida Blvd., and I-12) already have interstate-style interchanges, if they have to elevate a stretch between Florida Blvd. and I-12, then go for it... or just build overpasses to take the new road over the major intersections and have the minor intersections feed into the service road, where they can hang a right and then u-turn or do whatever.

---

Look, I agree with you. But that's just not going to happen. It's too expensive for Louisiana.

This was in the second article I linked:

quote:

---

Backers said the revamped Airline Highway would include roads adjacent to the new high-speed corridor that would not charge tolls.

---

I don't know how they would handle signals at the major intersections. But, from the way it's worded (which could be an interpretation from an engineer to a PR person to the media to the reader...a lot could be lost in translation), it appears that the idea for Airline is to be "high speed", which would definitely indicate limited access.

quote:

---

While it would be nice and I think very useful, that doesn't seem like it would do enough to take congestion out of the BR area.

---

Agreed. I don't see what this will accomplish.

The problem with BR traffic is lack of connectivity and no semblance of a street grid. What they really need to do is make more existing roads connect, but this would be a painful process because it would require demolition of houses and really engage the NIMBYs.

See my edit. Also, the frontage road addition is really a good idea.

I agree. They'd need to install u-turn lanes like Houston does.
If they can keep using the old bridge, this might be a pretty affordable option compared to other alternatives.