BR Area Bridges

[Antrell Williams]

Baton Rouge, and Louisiana, needs substantial investment in road and highway infrastructure, but do you think the administration would include mass transit? 

[dan326]

^Nope.

[Antrell Williams]

I don't have much faith either.

[richyb83]

A Step in the Right Direction?

BRAC makes funding for 'decades overdue' new Mississippi River bridge top 2017 priority

http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/business/article_63871ae0-e1a5-11e6-bc9c-7331be53bf5f.html?sr_source=lift_amplify

From SW view...." Almost " Best Angle  showing "Density" of the BR Skyline IMO..From Port of Greater BR..... The bridge is partially in the way....Go up 150'ft or so...Perfect   & the Governmental Bldg. is blocking most of the new Courthouse

 

Edited January 25, 2017 by richyb83

[cajun]

I think the best west side placement might be right between Plaquemine and Dow Chem for this thing.   That's where the LTDOTD has it on their website, connecting LA 1 to Highway 30 in St. Gabriel.    That would avoid the historic landmarks on both side of the river.   It puts the new bridge equidistant between the Sunshine bridge and the I-10 bridge.   

I know Iberville Parish won't complain about that, even if some homes have to be bought out.  

At $3 per car ($4.50 for big rigs) it would pay itself off in 15 years even with just 25,000 cars per day average.    The I-10 bridge gets about 120,000 cars per day now, so 25,000 cars per day is pretty conservative considering the likely growth in traffic this thing will see.   This would be ideal for the federal government's new effort to invest in public/private infrastructure partnerships.   

Edited January 30, 2017 by cajun

[cajun]

Mississippi River Bridge in Baton Rouge makes another bad traffic list

http://www.nola.com/news/baton-rouge/index.ssf/2017/01/baton_rouge_traffic_i-10_bridg.html

It's news shocking to no one who's ever had the displeasure of crawling across the Interstate 10 Mississippi River Bridge in Baton Rouge: Yet another study has declared this traffic chokepoint one of the worst in the United States.

For those familiar with going nowhere fast over the bridge, the good news -- if you will -- is that the American Transportation Research Institute doesn't list the confluence of I-10 and I-110 as the country's worst traffic bottleneck. That honor belongs to the infamous "spaghetti junction" of I-285 and I-85 North in Atlanta.

Still, for a second consecutive year, the narrowing of I-10 in Baton Rouge to one lane at the base of the bridge checks in at No. 19 in "Top Truck Bottleneck List." The transportation institute, which released the rankings Thursday (Jan. 26) compiled the list from truck global positioning systems and other analysis data.

Edited January 31, 2017 by cajun

[richyb83]

^Yep...the joke is on BR...What were they ever thinking???

Of course the northern-most route on the Map would work best just below Addis/near Sid Richardson Road (original proposal was north of this Brusly/Addis) ...WBR Leader Berthelot  ....even willing to compromise north of Plaquemine(edge of Iberville Parish)...the Ourso route near Bayou Goula should be a no-go....a $Billion waste

http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/communities/westside/article_570b54ba-f91b-11e6-91db-7b2022759d74.html

"Mitch is doing the same thing that happened with the (John James) Audubon Bridge," Berthelot said. "You start lobbying people, and we're going to end up with the same thing you have over there: a bridge that serves only a few and not helping what we need to get fixed."

Livingston Parish President Layton Ricks agreed with Berthelot. He said the decision on where to build a new bridge needs to be data driven and not politically influenced.

 

[cajun]

On 2/27/2017 at 1:54 PM, richyb83 said:

^Yep...the joke is on BR...What were they ever thinking???

Of course the northern-most route on the Map would work best just below Addis/near Sid Richardson Road (original proposal was north of this Brusly/Addis) ...WBR Leader Berthelot  ....even willing to compromise north of Plaquemine(edge of Iberville Parish)...the Ourso route near Bayou Goula should be a no-go....a $Billion waste

http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/communities/westside/article_570b54ba-f91b-11e6-91db-7b2022759d74.html

"Mitch is doing the same thing that happened with the (John James) Audubon Bridge," Berthelot said. "You start lobbying people, and we're going to end up with the same thing you have over there: a bridge that serves only a few and not helping what we need to get fixed."

Livingston Parish President Layton Ricks agreed with Berthelot. He said the decision on where to build a new bridge needs to be data driven and not politically influenced.

 

IMO immediately north of Plaquemine just south of Dow is the ideal position.   It would be a good compromise between these two locations.

[richyb83]

Something 50 years old still New   Interesting Read how  it reshaped  the BR area....ultimately lead to the eventual demise of the Bellemont Hotel/Great Hall on Airline Hwy/ Hwy 190  (old) bridge that was no longer the Main corridor

Happy birthday? How 50-year old 'new' bridge reshaped the Baton Rouge area

http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/entertainment_life/article_f7d003e0-345d-11e8-a0ad-5365be2de449.html

[richyb83]

Unlike anything from California to Florida... not a Good name for a Title

 Officials struggle to make part of I-10 in Baton Rouge safer

http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/article_25d56a02-4375-11e8-9d4f-dfe99507b7a1.html

[richyb83]

^{HERE is the article referred from Ehyfield's idea in Roundabout thread}

Change to exit off Mississippi River bridge could improve traffic flow to LSU, downtown, officials say

https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/article_a1f9138a-85e3-11e8-9e7f-13c3ff995a73.html

Edited July 20, 2018 by richyb83

[richyb83]

Here's more....Lawmakers say this is a "Game changer"

http://www.wafb.com/story/38710219/lawmakers-break-ground-on-new-terrace-ave-exit

A MESSAGE FROM THE DDD public meeting la 30: south blvd-w chimes st The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LADOTD) is proposing improvements to LA 30 (Nicholson Drive) in East Baton Rouge from South Boulevard to West Chimes Street and the relocation of an I-10 exit ramp terminal. Construction would include the institution of access management systems along the LA 30 corridor, the addition of subsurface drainage, roadway resurfacing and pavement rehabilitation, and the addition of connective sidewalks along the entirety of the corridor. The I-10 Highland/Nicholson exit ramp terminal would be relocated from its current location at Terrace Street to a new point tying into Oklahoma Street. The public meeting for this project will be held Thursday, July 26, 2018 at the Leo S. Butler Center, 950 E. Washington Avenue, Baton Rouge, LA 70802 from 4pm - 7pm. Click on the links below for more information.

Get the Details >> Add to Calendar >> ladotd-br district >> news article >>

New project to be 'game changer' in easing traffic on Baton Rouge interstate, officials say

https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/weather_traffic/article_497ec5b6-8c36-11e8-a7f2-e3bc07a678f9.html

 

Edited July 24, 2018 by richyb83

[richyb83]

With the Sunshine Bridge down in Donaldsonville damaged & Out of Commission...things have turned into an even bigger mess!

Is there need for a new Mississippi River bridge? This legislator is running an ad about it

https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/article_55c20abc-e44d-11e8-9a87-b70c365e4298.html

https://www.theadvocate.com/video/player/?video_id=507441

[richyb83]

Flush with MovEBR victory, Jim Bernhard’s next quest is regional bridge tax

Bernhard, speaking to the Baton Rouge Press Club this afternoon, said a new bridge over the Mississippi River is attainable and that his private equity firm, Bernhard Capital Partners, is willing to provide the upfront equity or debt needed to build the bridge and collect tolls to pay off the new infrastructure.

But public funding will also be necessary to cover costs of feeder roads to the bridge, creating a loop connecting it to the interstate. And Bernhard is urging elected officials to allow voters in the new five-parish Capital Region authority to decide if they want to raise taxes to fund those roads.

“We’re looking to the five parishes to contribute,” Bernhard said. “Baton Rouge has led the way. These parishes will say, “Hey, we can do this as well. We don’t want to be left behind.’”

Meanwhile, the bridge itself could be funded with the help of tolls. Based on preliminary numbers, Bernhard said, there would be “an acceptable return on investment” to pay off the debt over a period of 30 to 40 years.

“We’ll do it,” Bernhard says of BCP. “A lot of other companies would do it, but we happen to be here. By us stepping up, people should have confidence in voting for a tax… The parishes would take care of roads around the bridge through taxes.”

Bernhard even gave the proposed new bridge a name: the Capital Bridge. And the proposed loop connecting to the bridge would be called the Capital Expressway.

#Rest of Article

https://www.businessreport.com/business/flush-movebr-victory-jim-bernhards-next-quest-regional-bridge-tax-2

 

[Antrell Williams]

Really should be built using tax payer funds and not tax payers paying for the profits of a private company. We should easily be able to fund this.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

[greg225]

What could a new Baton Rouge bridge look like?                                                                                                                       http://www.wafb.com/2019/02/06/what-could-new-baton-rouge-bridge-look-like/

Edited February 6, 2019 by greg225

[richyb83]

Thanks for posting Greg225! Was too busy watching LSU Basketball game last night (Win in OT!).  Thanks for the VISUAL

Generally  what we here at the UP Forum have been Touting for several years...

 

I FAVOR ROUTE #1 LIGHT BLUE the most.....   Route # 3 is just plain silly!

Tying the New Miss River Bridge into the new Hwy 415 Connector w New Intracoastal Waterway Bridge

Here's some of article from Business Report

https://www.businessreport.com/politics/freeway-or-highway-mississippi-river-bridge-coalition-ponders-options

Freeway or highway? Mississippi River bridge coalition ponders options

What could a new bridge crossing the Mississippi River look like? The Capital Area Road and Bridge District explored various options during its first meeting this morning at the State Capitol.

“One bridge might cost $800 million, but one at another location might cost $1.1 billion,” says state Sen. Rick Ward, R-Port Allen, who created the five-parish coalition and tasked it with finding a way to fund the new bridge. “There are so many factors—whether it’s going to be a toll road, which locations will spend the most on tolls, and so forth.”

Based on Department of Transportation and Development presentations, the new bridge and its feeder roads could mirror one of two basic, six-lane options: 1) an interstate-quality freeway connecting Interstate 10 in West Baton Rouge Parish to I-10 in Ascension Parish, and 2) a conventional highway and expressway system connecting LA 1 with LA 30. The second option would also include building a connector between LA 415 and LA 1, upgrading LA 1 to the new expressway as well as widening and upgrading LA 30 to expressway standards.

While DOTD Deputy Secretary Eric Kalivoda said the freeway option could be a better long-term investment and generate more toll revenue, it’s also more expensive, more difficult to phase construction and is potentially controversial, with environmental concerns.

 

[greg225]

12 hours ago, richyb83 said:

Thanks for posting Greg225! Was too busy watching LSU Basketball game last night (Win in OT!).  Thanks for the VISUAL

Generally  what we here at the UP Forum have been Touting for several years...

 

I FAVOR ROUTE #1 LIGHT BLUE the most.....   Route # 3 is just plain silly!

Tying the New Miss River Bridge into the new Hwy 415 Connector w New Intracoastal Waterway Bridge

Here's some of article from Business Report

https://www.businessreport.com/politics/freeway-or-highway-mississippi-river-bridge-coalition-ponders-options

Freeway or highway? Mississippi River bridge coalition ponders options

What could a new bridge crossing the Mississippi River look like? The Capital Area Road and Bridge District explored various options during its first meeting this morning at the State Capitol.

“One bridge might cost $800 million, but one at another location might cost $1.1 billion,” says state Sen. Rick Ward, R-Port Allen, who created the five-parish coalition and tasked it with finding a way to fund the new bridge. “There are so many factors—whether it’s going to be a toll road, which locations will spend the most on tolls, and so forth.”

Based on Department of Transportation and Development presentations, the new bridge and its feeder roads could mirror one of two basic, six-lane options: 1) an interstate-quality freeway connecting Interstate 10 in West Baton Rouge Parish to I-10 in Ascension Parish, and 2) a conventional highway and expressway system connecting LA 1 with LA 30. The second option would also include building a connector between LA 415 and LA 1, upgrading LA 1 to the new expressway as well as widening and upgrading LA 30 to expressway standards.

While DOTD Deputy Secretary Eric Kalivoda said the freeway option could be a better long-term investment and generate more toll revenue, it’s also more expensive, more difficult to phase construction and is potentially controversial, with environmental concerns.

 

1 or 2 probably be the best option  could work once Nicholson is expanded to 4 lanes in that area.

Edited February 8, 2019 by greg225

[richyb83]

What a Mess!  Need Two Bridges over Intracoastal Waterway; but barely have ONE

La. 1 Intracoastal bridge repairs add ‘tremendous burden’ to westside traffic

https://www.businessreport.com/business/la-1-intracoastal-bridge-repairs-add-tremendous-burden-to-westside-traffic

DOTD to start traffic mitigation measures on LA 1 during joint replacement project

http://www.wafb.com/2019/03/07/dotd-start-traffic-mitigation-measures-la-during-joint-replacement-project/

[richyb83]

WORST Traffic Day in recent memory in BR ...bec . of LA 1 Hwy Repairs on Intracoastal  Bridge..Calling it near crisis situation. Wrecks ...then even have a Car Chase that hits 12 cars because of Back ups ; etc   Traffic line 7 miles long this morning

BRIDGE to ANYWHERE coming on WAFB tomorrow night

http://www.wafb.com/2019/03/26/vehicles-hit-after-police-chase-ends-i-w-near-acadian-thruway-exit/

https://www.wafb.com/2019/03/25/crews-continue-work-joint-repairs-dump-truck-damage-intracoastal-bridge/

[dan326]

On 3/26/2019 at 10:14 PM, richyb83 said:

WORST Traffic Day in recent memory in BR ...bec . of LA 1 Hwy Repairs on Intracoastal  Bridge..Calling it near crisis situation. Wrecks ...then even have a Car Chase that hits 12 cars because of Back ups ; etc   Traffic line 7 miles long this morning

BRIDGE to ANYWHERE coming on WAFB tomorrow night

http://www.wafb.com/2019/03/26/vehicles-hit-after-police-chase-ends-i-w-near-acadian-thruway-exit/

https://www.wafb.com/2019/03/25/crews-continue-work-joint-repairs-dump-truck-damage-intracoastal-bridge/

I've just been driving on Florida Blvd because of how horrible it's been. Maybe one  day we'll get a new bridge. It'd be nice if our politicians could market our city to the federal government on that.

[cajun]

On 3/28/2019 at 4:44 PM, dan326 said:

I've just been driving on Florida Blvd because of how horrible it's been. Maybe one  day we'll get a new bridge. It'd be nice if our politicians could market our city to the federal government on that.

I think the capital area may actually get a new bridge eventually - 10-15 years from now.

[richyb83]

On 4/15/2019 at 1:28 PM, cajun said:

I think the capital area may actually get a new bridge eventually - 10-15 years from now.

So now it's down just to 8 - 13 years now

Here are the 8 bridges East Baton Rouge Parish plans to demolish and replace in 2021

https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/weather_traffic/article_8cd7b5fc-5b6e-11eb-83c8-6f72f7cc75bd.html

Cant get these renderings any more ...The Advocate not making it as easy to post

https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/theadvocate.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/1e/41ed9a82-5d19-11eb-8143-e3af87eb8d73/600b7a4badb28.image.jpg

[richyb83]

Gov. Edwards’ budget proposal brings new Mississippi River bridge closer to reality

https://www.businessreport.com/politics/gov-edwards-budget-proposal-big-on-infrastructure-education

*More than $1.1 billion in infrastructure funding, including $500 million for the new Mississippi River bridge in Baton Rouge,

*$100 million for the   Interstate 10 Calcasieu River bridge in Lake Charles,

* $100 million for the I-49 Lafayette Connector,

and $500 million for water and sewer improvements statewide. 

 

Have been thinking about starting a new Lake Charles thread with bridge announcement & Bank tower building beaten up by Hurricane Laura...but it may be archived here on UP like its older counterpart thread.

[dan326]

^ Yeah, but atleast it'll be on record.