Louisiana Highway 3132

Louisiana Highway 3132 (LA 3132) is a freeway located in Shreveport, Louisiana. It runs 10.25 miles (16.50 km) in a general east–west direction from the junction of Interstates 20 and 220 to LA 523, serving as a southwestern bypass of the downtown area. With I-220, the highway helps to carry through traffic between the two disconnected portions of Interstate 49 (I-49), the area's main north–south route.

Louisiana Highway 3132 marker
Louisiana Highway 3132
  • Terry Bradshaw Passway
  • (or the Inner Loop Expressway)
Route of LA 3132 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by Louisiana DOTD
Length10.254 mi[1] (16.502 km)
ExistedJuly 27, 1977[2]–present
Major junctions
West end I-20 / I-220 in Shreveport
Major intersections
East end LA 523 in Shreveport
Location
CountryUnited States
StateLouisiana
ParishesCaddo
Highway system
  • Louisiana State Highway System
LA 3131 LA 3134

Though the controlled-access highway was officially designated as the Terry Bradshaw Passway in 2003, it is commonly known as the Inner Loop Expressway and is still signed as such from intersecting routes.

Route description

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From the west, LA 3132 begins at a partial cloverleaf interchange with I-20 (exit 11) and I-220 (exits 1B–C) in Shreveport, the largest city in northwestern Louisiana. The interchange forms the western terminus of I-220, a northern bypass of Shreveport and neighboring Bossier City. I-20 connects with downtown Shreveport to the east and Dallas, Texas to the west. LA 3132 heads south initially as a six-lane controlled-access highway alongside Shreveport Regional Airport and passes through a diamond interchange with LA 511 (West 70th Street). Narrowing to four lanes, LA 3132 proceeds through a sparsely developed area and curves due east. The highway then has interchanges with three north–south thoroughfares in quick succession: the local roads Walker Road (exit 3) and Jewella Avenue (exit 4), followed by US 171 (Mansfield Road). Eastbound traffic must access the latter via exit 4 while westbound traffic uses the independent exit 5.[3][4][5]

Continuing eastward through a largely residential area, LA 3132 engages into a four-level stack interchange with I-49, the main route between Shreveport and Alexandria, at exit 7. This is closely followed by diamond interchanges with LA 523 (Ellerbe Road/Line Avenue) and LA 526 (Bert Kouns Industrial Loop) at exits 8 and 9, respectively. Soon afterward, traffic is forced onto exit 10 to an at-grade intersection with LA 523, which connects to LA 1 in an area on the Shreveport city limits known as Lucas. Pavement stubs separated from the exit ramps by Jersey barriers indicate a planned direct connection to LA 1 on the south side of town.[3][4][5]

Route classification and data

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LA 3132 is classified as an urban freeway by the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (La DOTD). Daily traffic volume in 2013 averaged between 38,800 and 44,300 vehicles.[6] The posted speed limit is 60 mph (95 km/h).[3]

History

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LA 3132 was designated in the late 1960s as a southern bypass loop of the Shreveport metropolitan area. The highway was to have crossed the Red River by way of the existing Jimmie Davis Bridge on LA 511 constructed in 1968.[7][8] As part of the Louisiana Department of Highways' Proposed Five-Year Highway Construction Program in 1970, a second bridge was to be constructed to create a four-lane crossing of the river, but this never came to fruition.[8] The first section of the Inner Loop Expressway was opened on July 27, 1977 and followed the current route of LA 526 from LA 511 near the bridge southwest to the present LA 3132, then northwest on the present LA 3132 to Linwood Avenue.[2][9] The highway was extended west across US 171 (Mansfield Road) to Jewella Avenue in 1980,[10][11] then west and north to I-20 in 1984.[12][13]

I-49 was extended north into Shreveport to a temporary terminus at LA 3132 around 1991.[14][15] LA 3132 served as the main connector to eastbound I-20 until the two interstates were directly connected in December 1995.[16] By the mid-1990s, as plans for the Inner Loop Expressway changed, the portion of LA 3132 connecting to LA 511 at the Jimmie Davis Bridge became part of LA 526.[17] LA 3132 was then extended on its east end straight across LA 526 to a new terminus at LA 523.[18] This last project was completed in September 2007.[19]

In 2003, the highway was officially designated by an act of the Louisiana state legisture as the "Terry Bradshaw Passway" in honor of the Shreveport native and professional football star.[20] The change had been proposed as far back as 1989 and was met with opposition by local residents. As Bradshaw was a living person and no longer a Louisiana resident, some favored honoring either a deceased cultural hero or war veteran.[21] Bradshaw appeared in person as the first signs bearing the new name were erected along the highway in November 2005.[22]

Future

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La DOTD is currently planning to extend LA 3132 from LA 523 southeast to intersect LA 1 south of Lucas, a distance of 1.93 miles (3.11 km).[6] They plan on extending LA 3132 south from LA 523 to future I-69 once it is built.[23]

There are five options currently in contention for closing the gap in I-49 in Shreveport. Four of these options involve the construction of a new alignment extending from the existing I-49/I-20 interchange to the I-49/I-220 interchange. This direct connection, known as the Inner City Connector, is controversial due to its path being projected through a residential neighborhood, which would necessitate the displacement of many of its residents. The fifth option involves routing through traffic via the existing LA 3132 and I-220 alignments after necessary improvements to those highways are carried out.[24][25][26]


Exit list

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The entire highway is in Shreveport, Caddo Parish.

mi[1]kmExitDestinationsNotes
0.000–
0.433
0.000–
0.697
1B–C  I-20 – Monroe, Dallas
 
 
 
 
 
I-220 east to I-49 north – Texarkana
Western terminus of I-220 and LA 3132; signed as exits 1B (I-20 west) and 1C (I-20 east); exit 11 on I-20
0.591–
1.279
0.951–
2.058
1D  LA 511 (West 70th Street)
3.412–
4.000
5.491–
6.437
3Walker Road
4.438–
5.115
7.142–
8.232
4Jewella Avenue
 
 
To US 171 (Mansfield Road)
US 171 signed eastbound only
5.280–
5.465
8.497–
8.795
5  US 171 (Mansfield Road)Eastbound entrance and westbound exit (other movements via exit 4)
6.488–
7.155
10.441–
11.515
6Linwood Avenue
7.181–
8.041
11.557–
12.941
7  I-49 – Shreveport, AlexandriaExit 201 on I-49
8.128–
8.606
13.081–
13.850
8  LA 523 (Ellerbe Road, Line Avenue)
8.907–
9.517
14.334–
15.316
9  LA 526 (Bert Kouns Industrial Loop)
10.181–
10.254
16.385–
16.502
10  LA 523 (Flournoy Lucas Road)Eastern terminus
Continuation beyond LA-3132
Leonard RoadProposed
  I-69Proposed; Future eastern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "La DOTD GIS Data". Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. September 2015. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
  2. ^ a b "New East–West Traffic Artery Will Open Today". The Shreveport Times. Shreveport. July 27, 1977. p. 4A.
  3. ^ a b c "Overview Map of LA 3132" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved September 6, 2015.
  4. ^ a b Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, Office of Multimodal Planning (February 2012). Caddo Parish (South Section) (PDF) (Map). Scale not given. Baton Rouge: Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. Retrieved September 6, 2015.
  5. ^ a b Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, Office of Multimodal Planning (February 2012). District 04: Official Control Section Map, Construction and Maintenance (PDF) (Map). Scale not given. Baton Rouge: Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. Retrieved September 6, 2015.
  6. ^ a b "La DOTD GIS". Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. 2013. Archived from the original on October 16, 2013. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
  7. ^ "National Bridge Inventory Data: LA0511 Over Red R., C. Fant Pkwy, AR TE". Ugly Bridges. 2013. Retrieved September 6, 2015.
  8. ^ a b Proposed Five-Year Highway Construction Program (Report). Louisiana Department of Highways. 1970.
  9. ^ Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development—Office of Highways (1979). Louisiana 1979–1980 (Map). Scale not given. Baton Rouge: Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development.
  10. ^ "Inner Loop Section Will Open Today". The Times. Shreveport. October 23, 1980. p. 12A.
  11. ^ Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (1983). Louisiana: A Dream State (Map). Scale not given. Baton Rouge: Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development.
  12. ^ Ransburg, Eleanor (November 22, 1984). "Last Inner Loop Leg Opens". The Times. Shreveport. p. 1A.
  13. ^ Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (1988). Louisiana: Official Highway Map (Map). Scale not given. Baton Rouge: Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development.
  14. ^ Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (April 1991). Louisiana: Official Highway Map (Map). Scale not given. Baton Rouge: Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development.
  15. ^ Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (1991–1992). Louisiana: Official Highway Map (Map). Scale not given. Baton Rouge: Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development.
  16. ^ Baughman, Christopher (December 27, 1995). "New I-49 Stretch to Help Bowl-Bound LSU Fans". The Advocate. Baton Rouge. p. 1B.
  17. ^ Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, Office of Planning and Programming (1995). Caddo Parish (South Section) (Map) (2000 ed.). Scale not given. Baton Rouge: Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development.
  18. ^ Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (Spring 2005). Louisiana: Official Highway Map (Map). Scale not given. Baton Rouge: Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development.
  19. ^ Hunter, Velda (September 13, 2007). "Youree Drive Upgrade Nearly Complete". The Times. Shreveport. p. 3A.
  20. ^ "Road to be Named for Bradshaw". The Advocate. Baton Rouge. July 16, 2003.
  21. ^ "Renaming Highway Causing Flack". The Advocate. Baton Rouge. October 4, 1989. p. 10-C.
  22. ^ "Bradshaw Wants to Buy Saints, Keep Team in La". The Advocate. Baton Rouge. November 10, 2005. p. 1-C.
  23. ^ "LA 3132 Inner Loop Extension | NLCOG Listens". www.nlcoglistens.com. Retrieved 2022-01-07.
  24. ^ Warner, Doug (February 25, 2015). "Filling the Gap: Will I-49 Go Through Shreveport, or Around?". KSLA News 12. Shreveport. Retrieved October 4, 2015.
  25. ^ Warner, Doug (March 21, 2015). "CC to DC: I-49 Inner City Connector "It's a No Brainer"". KSLA News 12. Shreveport. Retrieved October 4, 2015.
  26. ^ "I-49 Inner-City Connector–Shreveport". I-49 Inner-City Connector–Shreveport. 2013. Retrieved October 4, 2015.
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