Long in the proposal stage and even longer in the planning stage, the new superhighway from Bush to Interstate 12, LA 3241 is now underway.
According to a project update in December, 2021, the corridor project runs approximately 20 miles and consists of a new four-lane divided highway connecting Interstate 12 (I-12) to Bush, Louisiana. It is broken up into three separate construction projects.
Segment Three of the current project, from Bush to Talisheek (intersecting with La. 435 just west of La. 41) is now under construction by Contractor Brown Industrial Construction, LLC. Bids for that section were let a year ago on July 21, 2021, with a Construction Contract Amount of $45,964,769.53.
The anticipated completion of segment three is between Fall 2023 and Spring 2024. That will be the first 5.6 miles of the entire project.
Meanwhile Segment 2 ( also known as DOTD Project H.004435) stretches from La. 435 near Talisheek, to La. Hwy. 36 near the community of St. Tammany.
That segment is also under construction, with the contractor being James Construction Group, LLC. Bids for that work amount to $62,565,356.72 and the contract was let on September 22, 2021. The anticipated completion date of that eight miles of roadway is also projected between the Fall of 2023 and Spring 2024.
The last section connecting La. 36 with the La. 434 interchange at Interstate 12, was in the plan development stage as of December of last year. Designated "Segment 1," it was set to begin the right-of-way acquisition in early 2022, with the anticipated letting of the construction bids in 2023. That stretch will run for 6.2 miles and complete the final section of the superhighway diagonally across St. Tammany Parish.
According to La. DOTD documents:
The LA 3241 project was planned as part of the Transportation Infrastructure Model for Economic Development (TIMED) Program, for which legislation was passed in 1989. The 30-year delay in delivering this project is attributable to poor financial forecasting that resulted in an overextended debt service extending to 2045 that, when combined with a prolonged permit process, caused an unacceptable delay to this very critical project.
Project Description: The LA 3241 project would construct two lanes of an ultimate four-lane principal arterial highway from I-12 to the southern terminus of LA 21 in Bush, Louisiana.
Currently, LA 21 is a four-lane divided highway between the City of Bogalusa, in Washington Parish, and Bush, in St. Tammany Parish, ending at its intersection with LA 41. Most of the project is on new alignment with a maximum right-of-way (ROW) width of 250 feet; however, the initial section near I-12 would expand an existing two-lane highway, LA 434, to four lanes.
Other than the initial section, the facility will be full Control-of-Access (COA) with the exception of two at grade intersections with major east-west routes which can be grade-separated in the future. Therefore, the travel speeds, reliability, and safety will be far superior to that of conventional highways.
Purpose & Need: The LA 3241 project would provide an alternative north-south connection that would reduce congestion and delays for those traveling from northern St. Tammany Parish and Washington Parish to I-12. The proposed highway would increase safety by reducing the amount of traffic and congestion on existing routes (LA 41 and LA 21/LA 59/US 190), and thereby reduce the potential for accidents.
In addition, travel time savings could help support and enhance potential economic development in northern St. Tammany and Washington Parishes. LA DOTD is obliged to construct the proposed highway to comply with La. RS 47:820.2B(1)(e), which requires “[t]he Louisiana Highway 3241 project from Interstate 12 to Bush…shall be constructed as a [four]-lane or more highway.”
The proposed action is needed to fulfill the legislative mandate, provide a logical, direct, modern, high-speed 4-lane arterial to I-12 from the southern terminus of the current, modern 4-lane arterial portion of LA 21; and provide a logical, direct, modern, high-speed 4-lane arterial to I-12 from the southern terminus of the current, modern 4-lane arterial portion of LA 21.
The project will also divert traffic from Washington and northern St. Tammany Parishes onto a 4-lane, modern, high-speed arterial to free capacity for local trips on segments of existing routes in southern suburban areas and reduce congestion during peak and some nonpeak periods; as well as support and enhance the existing and developing economic activities in Washington and northern St. Tammany Parishes that rely on the highway network to reach their markets by providing a travel time savings.
The proposed LA 3241 project is needed to provide an alternative north-south connection that would reduce congestion and delays for those traveling from northern St. Tammany and Washington Parishes to I-12. Continued growth in St. Tammany Parish is expected because of demand for affordable housing, developable land, a good local education system, and its location as a bedroom community to the New Orleans Metropolitan Area. Such growth has resulted in increased traffic volumes on the area’s roads, including north south routes LA 21 and LA 59, and local and secondary eastwest roads.
To provide transportation planning context, it is noted that the project is included in both the 2015 Louisiana Statewide Transportation Plan as a Priority A Megaproject, and the 2018 Louisiana Freight Mobility Plan as a Priority A Megaproject that addresses freight transportation needs. It is also included in the Regional Planning Commission’s FY 2019-2022 Transportation Improvement Plan (Tier I). The Regional Planning Commission serves as the Planning Commission for St. Tammany Parish. Upon completion of construction, the route will be designated as part of the National Highway Freight Network and the National Highway System.
End of La. DOTD document
On November 19, 2021, Gov. John Bel Edwards and DOTD Secretary Shawn D. Wilson, Ph.D., held a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the start of construction on the LA 3241 corridor in St. Tammany Parish. State and local officials attended the ceremony celebrating the construction of the new four-lane highway on the Northshore. The following is from the Governor's press release about the event.
“I am proud to see this project come to fruition,” said Gov. Edwards. “Creating a brand new highway is an example of what can be accomplished when we have the correct funding sources in place and when our leaders on all levels of government work together. This corridor will provide relief for regional transportation needs and stimulate economic growth in this region.”
“LA 3241 has been discussed for nearly 40 years, but because of lack of funding, it took decades to move forward,” said DOTD Secretary Shawn D. Wilson, Ph.D. “This new corridor will improve access between I-12 and the northeastern ‘toe’ of Louisiana, as well as provide an additional hurricane evacuation route from the New Orleans and Northshore areas. Infrastructure creates jobs and ignites economic development.”
“After decades of waiting, it is encouraging to see progress on a physical connection from Washington parish to St Tammany parish,” said Senator Beth Mizell. “New economic and educational opportunities will be more accessible to all citizens. This step makes a long awaited dream of the past a reality for the prosperity for all of our area.”
“After 32 years, we are finally fulfilling the constitutional TIMED Project LA3241 bridging the gap between Washington Parish and Interstate 12,” said Representative Malinda White. “Some said it would never happen and some died waiting for it to happen. Thirty two years later, TIMED project Highway 3241 becomes a reality.”
“I am thrilled to see this long-awaited project become a reality for all citizens in St. Tammany Parish, especially those in the northeast corridor,” said St. Tammany Parish President Mike Cooper. “Once completed, LA 3241 will provide a major connection and economic growth for I-12 to Northeast St. Tammany Parish and all neighbors, businesses and communities in between. I look forward to seeing the progress and completion of LA 3241 and its many benefits to St. Tammany Parish."
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