Interstate 55 in Louisiana

Interstate 55 marker

Interstate 55
Route information
Maintained by Louisiana DOTD
Length: 65.81 mi[1] (105.91 km)
Existed: 1957 (designated);
1960 (signed);
1979 (completed) – present
Major junctions
South end: I10 in LaPlace
 

US 51 north of LaPlace
US 51 south of Hammond
I12 in Hammond

US 190 in Hammond
North end: I-55 at the Mississippi state line north of Kentwood
Location
Parishes: St. John the Baptist, Tangipahoa
Highway system
  • Louisiana Highway System
LA 54LA 55

Interstate 55 (I-55) is an Interstate Highway that spans a total of 65.81 miles (105.91 km) in a northsouth direction in the U.S. state of Louisiana.[1][2] It is located in the southeastern portion of the state and parallels the older U.S. Highway 51 (US 51) corridor from the national southern terminus at I-10 in LaPlace to the Mississippi state line north of Kentwood. Along the way it passes through the city of Hammond, where it intersects two of the state's major eastwest routes, I-12 and US 190. It also serves the smaller city of Ponchatoula, as well as the towns of Amite City and Kentwood.

I-55 is a major route connecting the New Orleans metropolitan area with Jackson, Mississippi and ultimately Chicago, Illinois. New Orleans is located 21 miles (34 km) east of LaPlace on I-10. The southernmost 23 miles (37 km) of I-55, passing between Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurepas, are elevated as part of the Manchac Swamp Bridge, one of the longest bridges in the world.

History

In April 2010, Reader's Digest listed I-55 in Louisiana as the one of the seven worst roads in America.[3] Originally constructed in the mid-1960s using concrete, the roadway had deteriorated to the point where rehabilitation was needed in 1989-90, but problems remained.

In 2010-11, Louisiana rubblized most of the concrete on the interstate from Ponchatoula to the Mississippi state line and replaced it with asphalt.[4][5]

Exit list

ParishLocationmi[2]kmExitDestinationsNotes
St. John the BaptistLaPlace0.00.0 I10 east New OrleansSouthern terminus; northbound entrance and southbound exit; Exit 210 on I-10
0.20.3South end of Manchac Swamp Bridge
 0.8–
1.0
1.3–
1.6
1 US 51 to I10 Baton Rouge, LaPlaceSouth end of US 51 concurrency; northbound entrance and southbound exit
Ruddock7.6–
8.2
12.2–
13.2
7Ruddock
St. John the BaptistTangipahoa lineGalvaAkers line14.4–
15.2
23.2–
24.5
Bridge over Pass Manchac
TangipahoaManchac15.3–
15.9
24.6–
25.6
15Manchac
 23.037.0North end of Manchac Swamp Bridge
 23.137.222Frontage RoadNorthbound entrance and southbound exit
 23.5–
24.0
37.8–
38.6
23
US 51 Bus. Ponchatoula
Southern terminus of US 51 Business
Ponchatoula25.9–
26.5
41.7–
42.6
26 LA 22 Ponchatoula, Springfield
Hammond28.4–
28.9
45.7–
46.5
28 US 51 north HammondNorth end of US 51 concurrency
29.3–
29.8
47.2–
48.0
29AB I12 Slidell, Baton RougeSigned as Exits 29A to Slidell and 29B to Baton Rouge; Exit 38AB on I-12
31.2–
31.4
50.2–
50.5
31 US 190 Albany, Hammond
 32.2–
32.7
51.8–
52.6
32 LA 3234 (University Avenue) / Wardline RoadWestern terminus of LA 3234
Tickfaw36.3–
36.7
58.4–
59.1
36 LA 442 Tickfaw
Independence40.9–
41.3
65.8–
66.5
40 LA 40 Independence
Amite City46.9–
47.3
75.5–
76.1
46 LA 16 Montpelier, Amite City
 50.6–
51.1
81.4–
82.2
50 LA 1048 Arcola, Roseland
 53.7–
54.1
86.4–
87.1
53 LA 10 Greensburg, Fluker
 56.9–
57.4
91.6–
92.4
57 LA 440 Tangipahoa
Kentwood61.4–
61.8
98.8–
99.5
61 LA 38 – Liverpool, Kentwood
 66.2106.5 I-55 north JacksonNorthern terminus; continuation into Mississippi
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
Interstate 55
Previous state:
Terminus
Louisiana Next state:
Mississippi

References

Route map: Bing / Google

  1. 1 2 Staff (October 31, 2002). "Table 1: Main Routes of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System Of Interstate and Defense Highways as of October 31, 2002". Route Log and Finder List. Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  2. 1 2 Google (June 11, 2013). "Overview Map of I-55" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
  3. Crouch, Michelle (April 2010). "The 7 Worst Roads in America". Reader's Digest 173 (1056). Retrieved 2013-01-24.
  4. Landers, Kirk (July–August 2011). "Saved by Asphalt: The Rubblization of Louisiana's I-55" (Flash). HMAT (Hot Mix Asphalt Technology) 16 (4): 24–29. Retrieved 2013-01-24.
  5. Landers, Kirk (July–August 2012). "Warm Mix Fixes I-55" (Flash). Asphalt Pavement 17 (4): 20–31. Retrieved 2013-01-24.
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