U.S. Route 90 Business (New Orleans, Louisiana)

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Future I-49 / US 90 in Avondale
Major intersections
East end
I-10 / US 90 in New Orleans
Location
Country
Orleans
Highway system
  • Louisiana State Highway System
←
LA 910

U.S. Highway 90 Business (US 90 Bus.) is a business route of U.S. Highway 90 located in and near New Orleans, Louisiana. It runs 14.25 miles (22.93 km) in a general east–west direction from US 90 in Avondale to a junction with Interstate 10 (I-10) and US 90 in the New Orleans Central Business District.

Unlike a typical business route, US 90 Bus. is built to a higher standard than the segment of US 90 that it parallels. More than half of the route is an elevated

U.S. Highway
in Louisiana that is not derived from a former alignment of its parent route. US 90 Bus. was newly constructed between 1954 and 1960 while the parallel section of US 90 has remained largely unchanged since 1936.

US 90 Bus. initially heads eastward along the Westbank Expressway, serving a number of suburban communities in

Superdome
.

The entirety of US 90 Bus. is intended to become part of I-49 once that highway is extended along the present US 90 corridor from Lafayette to New Orleans. In the meantime, the route carries the designation of Future I-49, as approved by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials in 1999. While the Federal Highway Administration approved the existing freeway portion of US 90 Bus. to be signed as Interstate 910 in the interim, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development did not follow through with an application to the AASHTO's U.S. Route Numbering Committee, and the designation remains unused.

Route description

Westwego to Harvey Canal

From the west, US 90 Bus. begins at a modified

four-way stop. As a result, a significant amount of local traffic circumvents this movement by turning onto Nine Mile Point Road toward a signalized intersection with US 90 that features a protected no-stop turn lane.[3][4][5]

US 90 Bus. heads southeast along the Westbank Expressway as a divided four-lane highway and intersects Segnette Boulevard, the entrance to the

LA 18 Spur (Louisiana Street) provides a route for truck traffic to the industrial facilities along the riverfront. The highway crosses from Westwego into the unincorporated community of Marrero immediately past Victory Drive and curves due east, maintaining a parallel trajectory to the Mississippi River. At Carmadelle Street, several blocks past a signalized intersection with Westwood Drive, a ramp leads through traffic onto an elevated six-lane freeway, which begins in the median. The ground-level portion of the Westbank Expressway continues straight ahead as frontage roads serving local businesses and maintains a six-lane capacity.[3][4][5]

After a short distance, the first in a series of tight

LA 3017 (Peters Road), is limited to a westbound exit ramp.[3][4][5]

Harvey Canal to Mississippi River

Harvey Tunnel
Overview
LocationHarvey
Coordinates29°53′54″N 90°04′44″W / 29.89833°N 90.07889°W / 29.89833; -90.07889
StatusOpen
Route
 US 90 Bus. / Future I-49 (Frontage Roads)
Operation
Work begunJune 28, 1954;
69 years ago (1954-06-28)
OpenedSeptember 5, 1957;
66 years ago (1957-09-05)
OwnerLa DOTD
TrafficAutomotive
Technical
Length1,079.7 feet (329.1 m)
No. of lanes4
Tunnel clearance13 feet (4.0 m)
Width43.9 feet (13.4 m)

East of the Harvey Canal, US 90 Bus. heads northwest, returning to its prior elevation and connecting to Manhattan Boulevard via exit 6. It then enters the city of

seat of Jefferson Parish government. Two interchanges serve Gretna: exit 7 to LA 18/LA 23 (Lafayette Street) and exit 8 to Stumpf Boulevard. Between these two exits, the expressway frontage roads run concurrent with LA 23, which continues northwest onto Stumpf Boulevard. While passing alongside the Oakwood Center shopping mall, US 90 Bus. enters into its final interchange on the west bank: exit 9 to Terry Parkway and General de Gaulle Drive. These are parallel divided thoroughfares, the former serving the mall and adjacent neighborhood of Terrytown. The first portion of the exit is a tight half-diamond interchange consisting of an eastbound exit and westbound entrance that utilize the frontage roads to connect with both thoroughfares.[3][4][5]

Immediately after crossing Terry Parkway, US 90 Bus. enters

HOV lanes, separated from the main travel lanes by a row of Jersey barriers. Due to the bend in the Mississippi River from which the "Crescent City" gets its name and the orientation of the bridges, the remainder of US 90 Bus. carries traffic signed "eastbound" and "westbound" in geographically opposite directions.[3][5][6]

Downtown New Orleans

The Crescent City Connection carries US 90 Bus. into downtown New Orleans

After climbing to a height of 150 feet (46 m) above the Mississippi River, US 90 Bus. enters the

Earhart Boulevard, which serves as a frontage road for a short distance until US 90 Bus. departs from its alignment.[3][5][6]

US 90 Bus. enters into a complex interchange with both US 90 (South Claiborne Avenue) and I-10. Separate ramps connect to westbound US 90 (exit 13A), eastbound US 90 (13B), and eastbound I-10 (13C). To the east, US 90 travels beneath the elevated I-10 as it passes through the downtown area en route to Slidell, located on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain. Following exit 13C, eastbound US 90 Bus. continues straight ahead to merge with westbound I-10, which swings to the northwest to proceed along the Pontchartrain Expressway toward New Orleans International Airport and the city of Baton Rouge. Locally, westbound I-10 carries traffic between downtown New Orleans and the suburbs in Jefferson and St. Tammany parishes, the latter accessed via the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway.[3][5][6]

Route classification and data

US 90 Bus. is classified as an urban freeway by the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (La DOTD) and carries the internal designation of US 90-Z. Annual average daily traffic data collected by the department in 2019 showed a low of 38,818 vehicles near Westwego, increasing to a peak of 163,126 vehicles on the Mississippi River bridge. The remainder of the route through downtown New Orleans maintained at least 100,000 vehicles to the junction with I-10.[7] The posted speed limit is 45 mph (70 km/h) along the surface portion of the route, increasing to 60 mph (95 km/h) throughout the west bank freeway portion. The remainder of the route across the Crescent City Connection and along the Pontchartrain Expressway is generally posted at 50 mph (80 km/h).[3]

The portion of US 90 Bus. between the Lafayette Street and Camp Street exits serves as a link in the ten-state National Scenic Byway known as the Great River Road.[8]

History

The Crescent City Connection and the New Orleans skyline

The three main elements that constitute the route of US 90 Bus. in New Orleans—the Westbank Expressway, the Crescent City Connection, and the Pontchartrain Expressway—were initially conceived between the 1920s and 1940s as separate projects.

Early planning

In 1926, New Orleans visionary George A. Hero and engineer Allen S. Hackett proposed the construction of a bridge across the Mississippi River located in downtown New Orleans.

Louisiana Highway Commission and the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad primarily to accommodate railroad traffic, which up to that time was forced to cross the river by ferry between the rail yards at Avondale and Harahan. While it contained automobile lanes that benefited through traffic on US 90 through the area, the bridge's location made it inconvenient for local travel between New Orleans and the developing communities on the opposite side of the river.[9]
While increasingly outmoded, the string of existing ferry services along the Mississippi River would continue to serve this purpose for another two decades.

Before the existence of the Westbank Expressway, the only highway traversing the west bank communities between US 90 and Algiers was former State Route 30, a narrow two-lane highway that zigzagged through the center of each town. This route is now generally followed by the modern LA 18, which was created in the 1955 Louisiana Highway renumbering.[12] During the 1930s, this once rural area was transformed into a booming industrial corridor focused along the Mississippi River and the Harvey Canal, which had become a link in the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. By 1942, the existing highway had become heavily congested, and the draw bridge crossing of the Harvey Canal was specifically cited as one of the worst traffic bottlenecks in the entire state. That year, the Jefferson Parish Police Jury and a committee of local citizens began to lobby the state highway department to alleviate the problem by constructing a new four-lane highway parallel to the existing Route 30. The proposed bypass would extend from US 90 near the Huey P. Long Bridge to the Algiers Naval Station. It would also feature a bridge across the Harvey Canal with a higher draw span, allowing most marine traffic to pass underneath without impeding the flow of vehicular traffic.[13]

In 1946, the

US 61 (Airline Highway), the main route to the state capital. Moses' plan combined these elements into a continuous traffic artery and provided cost estimates as well as engineering evaluations by the New York firm of Andrews and Clark.[14]
Eight more years would pass, however, before construction on these projects would begin.

Construction

The first project that would eventually become part of US 90 Bus. was underway in June 1954 with the construction of the Harvey Tunnel.[15] Approved by the Louisiana Department of Highways in October 1951, the tunnel had replaced the earlier idea of a bridge across the Harvey Canal. Although the more expensive option, the tunnel would be quicker to build and could be used as a bomb shelter in case the Cold War were to heat up.[11] Construction of the Westbank Expressway began in the vicinity of the Harvey Canal and forged a path largely along the southern edge of the west bank's existing development. It was originally configured as a divided four-lane surface highway with interchanges at US 90 and Victory Drive (now General de Gaulle Drive).[a] Intersections were provided at major cross streets between these points while two-lane frontage roads provided access to all services and remaining cross streets. The frontage roads began at Louisiana Street in Westwego and continued to the Victory Drive interchange in Algiers, interrupted only at the Harvey Tunnel, through which only the central express lanes traveled. On September 5, 1957, the Harvey Tunnel was opened to traffic and was touted as the first fully automatic underwater vehicular tunnel in the world.[17] Completion of the tunnel was more than 20 months behind schedule due to unexpected soil and cofferdam difficulties.[18] Also placed into service were the adjacent portions of the West Bank Expressway extending west to Barataria Boulevard in Marrero and east to Franklin Avenue in Gretna. A newly reconstructed and improved Franklin Avenue carried through traffic into Algiers at this time.[19]

The Greater New Orleans Bridge, now the westbound (geographically eastbound) span of the Crescent City Connection, began construction in early 1955.

toll plaza located at its west bank approach.[19] (The tolls were later removed by Governor John McKeithen in 1964.)[20] Also opened was the first section of the Pontchartrain Expressway, New Orleans' first controlled access freeway, extending from the bridge to an interchange with US 90 (South Claiborne Avenue). The Pontchartrain Expressway also carried four lanes of traffic in its original configuration and contained partial interchanges at Camp Street, St. Charles Avenue, Dryades Street (now O'Keefe Avenue), and Loyola Avenue.[21]

After the opening of the Greater New Orleans Bridge, the Louisiana Department of Highways focused on extending its adjoining expressways to their intended termini. The Pontchartrain Expressway was completed between US 90 (South Claiborne Avenue) and US 61 (Airline Highway) in February 1960.

LA 3019, which was changed from Route 2200 in the 1955 Louisiana Highway renumbering.[23][28]

Later improvements

In December 1972, the I-10 viaduct in the median of South Claiborne Avenue was completed, closing a gap in the interstate's route between the Pontchartrain Expressway and Tulane Avenue.[29] New ramps were added to directly connect the two sections of I-10 and allow through traffic to bypass the Claiborne interchange. However, no direct connection was provided between US 90 Bus. and the new section of I-10 along South Claiborne Avenue.[30]

During the 1960s and 1970s, the suburbs of New Orleans continued to grow dramatically, including the communities on the west bank of the Mississippi River. The resulting traffic congestion on the Westbank Expressway led to plans that would ultimately convert most of the route into an elevated controlled-access freeway. This project was carried out in stages beginning in September 1977 with the construction of a high-level bridge across the Harvey Canal.[31] When completed in May 1984, the bridge became the route for through traffic while the frontage roads were reconfigured to utilize the existing Harvey Tunnel.[31] Also placed into service at this time was the first section of the elevated expressway on either end of the bridge, extending from Avenue D in Marrero to Manhattan Boulevard in Harvey.[31] The elevated expressway was completed eastward from Manhattan Boulevard to Lafayette Street in Gretna in January 1985[32] and to Stumpf Boulevard the following September.[33] After several delays, the portion between Stumpf Boulevard and Terry Parkway was completed in February 1987.[34] By 1993, the elevated Westbank Expressway was completed from the General de Gaulle Drive interchange to its present terminus near Westwood Drive in Marrero.[35] The original expressway lanes had been removed from that point through Westwego during the 1980s, leaving all traffic to utilize the existing service roads, which were improved and widened.[36][37] As of 2020, plans to complete the expressway through Westwego have not come to fruition, although the route is part of the future extension of I-49.[3][38]

By the 1970s, heavy traffic congestion on the Greater New Orleans Bridge and Pontchartrain Expressway led to the planning of a massive road project that would ultimately become the longest-running in the state's history.

Lower Garden District, which was replaced by a less conspicuous ramp looping underneath the expressway. Perhaps most significant among the numerous other improvements, new flyover ramps were built to finally provide a direct connection to I-10 east of the Claiborne interchange. For years, motorists had utilized the US 90 east off-ramp to reach I-10 east while performing a dangerous and illegal maneuver that caused numerous accidents and fatalities over the years but was often tolerated by law enforcement out of necessity.[41]

The new span of the Greater New Orleans Bridge was completed in 1988, and both spans were collectively renamed the Crescent City Connection the following year. The entire project was completed and opened to traffic in June 1996 after 16 years and an expenditure of approximately $480 million.[40][42]

Future

The entire route of US 90 Bus. is planned to become part of I-49, which is currently being extended from

American Association of State Highway Officials on October 1, 1999.[43] Signage identifying the route as such can be seen at various points along the Westbank Expressway. The Federal Highway Administration approved the existing freeway portion of US 90 Bus. to be signed as Interstate 910 in the interim, subject to the approval of the AASHTO's Route Numbering Committee.[44] However, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development
did not follow through, and the designation remains unused.

Major intersections

ParishLocationmi[1]kmExitDestinationsNotes
New Orleans
Western terminus; interchange
LA 18 Spur
(Louisiana Street)		Southern terminus of LA 18 Spur
Marrero4.020–
4.026		6.470–
6.479		Westwood Drive
4.245–
4.292		6.832–
6.907		Western end of freeway; grade-level roadways continue as frontage roads
4.990–
5.047		8.031–
8.122		4AAmes BoulevardEastbound entrance and westbound exit
5.176–
6.074		8.330–
9.775		4B LA 45 (Barataria Boulevard)To Jean Lafitte
Harvey6.153–
6.171		9.902–
9.931		5MacArthur AvenueEastbound exit and westbound entrance
6.341–
7.201		10.205–
11.589		Bridge over Harvey Canal (Gulf Intracoastal Waterway)
7.285–
8.007		11.724–
12.886		6AManhattan BoulevardSigned eastbound as exit 6
7.78512.5296B
LA 3017
(Peters Road) / MacArthur Avenue		Westbound exit only; to Harvey Tunnel and Destrehan Avenue
Gretna8.096–
8.720		13.029–
14.033		7

 LA 18 west / LA 23 south (Lafayette Street)		Eastern terminus of LA 18; western end of LA 23 concurrency (signed on frontage roads); to Belle Chasse and Port Sulphur
8.769–
9.446		14.112–
15.202		8Stumpf BoulevardEastern end of LA 23 concurrency (signed on frontage roads)
LA 428
(General de Gaulle Drive) / Terry Parkway, Frontage Road		Western end of reversible HOV lanes; signed westbound as exits 9A (Terry Parkway) and 9B (General de Gaulle Drive)
New Orleans
10.374–
12.058		16.695–
19.405		Crescent City Connection over Mississippi River
11.822–
12.577		19.026–
20.241		11Tchoupitoulas Street, South Peters StreetSigned eastbound as exit 11A and to Tchoupitoulas Street only
11.99919.311♦Convention Center BoulevardReversible eastbound exit / westbound entrance
12.138–
12.227		19.534–
19.677		12ACamp StreetEastbound exit and westbound entrance
12.596–
12.649		20.271–
20.357		12BO'Keefe AvenueEastbound exit and westbound entrance
12.900–
12.969		20.761–
20.872		12DCarondelet Street, St. Charles AvenueEastbound entrance and westbound exit
13.233–
13.506		21.296–
21.736		12CLoyola AvenueEastbound entrance and westbound exit
13.008–
14.004		20.934–
22.537		13A

 To
Earhart Boulevard
Eastern end of reversible HOV lanes; Earhart Boulevard signed eastbound only
13.452–
14.004		21.649–
22.537		13B
Superdome
Superdome signed westbound only
13.232–
14.250		21.295–
22.933		13C
I-10 – Slidell, Baton Rouge
Eastern terminus; exit number signed for I-10 east only; exit 234 on I-10
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

  • logo
    U.S. Roads portal

Notes

  1. deLesseps S. Morrison, and approved by the city council in April 1960, commemorating the French president's concurrent visit to the city.[16]

References

  1. ^ a b Management & Finance Division (2019). "La DOTD GIS Data". Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  2. ^ Adderly, Kevin. "Table 2: Auxiliary Routes of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways as of December 31, 2014". Route Log and Finder List. Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Google (April 6, 2020). "Overview Map of US 90 Business (New Orleans)" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, Office of Multimodal Planning (February 2012). Jefferson Parish (North Section) (PDF) (Map). Scale not given. Baton Rouge: Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, Office of Multimodal Planning (February 2012). District 02: Official Control Section Map, Construction and Maintenance (PDF) (Map). Scale not given. Baton Rouge: Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
  6. ^ a b c Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, Office of Multimodal Planning (February 2012). Orleans Parish (PDF) (Map). Scale not given. Baton Rouge: Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
  7. ^ "LADOTD Estimated Annual Average Daily Traffic, Routine Traffic Counts". Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. 2019. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  8. ^ "Louisiana Great River Road". Louisiana Scenic Byways. 2016. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
  9. ^ a b c Dabney, Thomas Ewing (1943). Bordenave, Justin F. (ed.). "Jefferson's Surging Growth Demands This Bridge". Jefferson Parish Yearly Review. Jefferson Parish Police Jury. pp. 82–92.
  10. ^ Rand McNally (1935). Texaco Road Map: Arkansas/Louisiana/Mississippi (Map). Texaco.
  11. ^ a b Monies, Joseph H., ed. (1952). "Crossings and Channels". Jefferson Parish Yearly Review. Jefferson Parish Police Jury. pp. 54–64.
  12. Louisiana Department of Highways
    (July 1, 1955). Louisiana Highways: Interim Road Map (Map). Scale not given. Baton Rouge: Louisiana Department of Highways.
  13. ^ Bordenave, Justin F., ed. (1942). "Jefferson's 'Burma Road'". Jefferson Parish Yearly Review. Jefferson Parish Police Jury. pp. 108–112.
  14. ^ a b Clinton, E. M. (November 7, 1946). "Needed Highway Projects to Cost Over 50 Millions". The Times-Picayune. New Orleans. pp. 1, 3.
  15. ^ a b Clancy, Frank J. (1955). Monies, Joseph H. (ed.). "Progress Report of the Parish". Jefferson Parish Yearly Review. Jefferson Parish Police Jury. pp. 39–59.
  16. ^ "Street Will Get De Gaulle Name". The Times-Picayune. New Orleans. April 22, 1960. p. 26.
  17. ^ Hall, LeRoy L. (1958). de Lucy, Gordon E. (ed.). "Final Report of the Jefferson Parish Police Jury". Jefferson Parish Yearly Review. Jefferson Parish. pp. 19–31.
  18. ^ "Harvey Tunnel Being Cleared". The Times-Picayune. New Orleans. August 25, 1957. p. 12.
  19. ^ a b White, William J. (1957). Sharp, Jim (ed.). "There's a Steel Rainbow Growing Over Gretna". Jefferson Parish Yearly Review. Jefferson Parish Police Jury. pp. 162–171.
  20. ^ Lewis, Don (March 22, 1987). "New Bridge over the Mississippi Should Open in '88". The Advocate. Baton Rouge. p. 2B.
  21. ^ United States Geological Survey (1966). New Orleans East, LA (Topographic map). 1:24,000. 15 Minute. Reston, VA: United States Geological Survey.
  22. ISSN 1055-3053
    .
  23. ^ a b Louisiana Department of Highways (December 1960). Louisiana (Map). Scale not given. Baton Rouge: Louisiana Department of Highways.
  24. ISSN 1055-3053
    .
  25. ISSN 1055-3053
    .
  26. ^ Pennebaker, E. S. (1960). Thompson, Ray M. (ed.). "Transportation in Jefferson". Jefferson Parish Yearly Review. Jefferson Parish. p. 89.
  27. ^ General Drafting (1961). Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi (Map) (November 1961 ed.). Esso.
  28. ^ Louisiana Department of Highways, Traffic and Planning Section (January 1, 1958). Highway District No. 02: Official Control Section Map, Construction and Maintenance (Map). Scale not given. Baton Rouge: Louisiana Department of Highways.
  29. ^ "Interstate 10 Section in N.O. to Open Today". State-Times. Baton Rouge. December 8, 1972. p. 16A.
  30. ^ United States Geological Survey (1966). New Orleans East, LA (Topographic map) (1979 ed.). 1:24,000. 15 Minute. Reston, Virginia: United States Geological Survey.
  31. ^ a b c "Bridge Opens with Terse Verse". The Times-Picayune/The States-Item. New Orleans. May 26, 1984. p. 19.
  32. ^ Atkinson, Paul (January 12, 1985). "New Expressway Section to Open". The Times-Picayune/The States-Item. New Orleans. p. A26.
  33. ^ "Expressway Section Will Be Opened". The Times-Picayune/The States-Item. New Orleans. September 25, 1985. p. A23.
  34. ^ Atkinson, Paul (February 3, 1987). "West Bank Expressway Stretch Will Be Opened on Wednesday". The Times-Picayune. New Orleans. p. B-3.
  35. ^ Atkinson, Paul (August 24, 1991). "Expressway Extension May Be Finished Early". Times-Picayune. New Orleans. p. B3.
  36. ^ United States Geological Survey (1965). New Orleans West, LA (Topographic map) (1989 ed.). 1:24,000. 15 Minute. Reston, Virginia: United States Geological Survey.
  37. ^ "Highway Report". The Advocate. Baton Rouge. January 9, 1986. p. 6A.
  38. ^ Anderson, Ed (August 14, 1990). "State Considers More Projects for West Bank Expressway". Times-Picayune. New Orleans. p. B4.
  39. ^ Atkinson, Paul (May 5, 1996). "Homestretch". Times-Picayune. New Orleans. p. A1.
  40. ^
    ISSN 1055-3053
    .
  41. ISSN 1055-3053
    .
  42. ISSN 1055-3053
    .
  43. ^ Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering (October 1, 1999). "Report of the Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering to the Standing Committee on Highways" (PDF) (Report). Washington, DC: American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 16, 2017. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
  44. ISSN 1055-3053
    .

External links

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