Louisiana Highway 1 - Highway 1 Expressway

Highway 1 Expressway

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) is converting LA 1 from Golden Meadow to Port Fourchon into an elevated toll expressway. These improvements are in order to facilitate in evacuations of Grand Isle and Port Fourchon in the event of a hurricane, as LA 1 in this area is vulnerable to flooding, regardless of strength of storm.

When completed, the expressway will be a 19 miles (31 km) long elevated toll road from Golden Meadow to the Gulf of Mexico. Prior to mid June, 2012, tolls were collected using "open road tolling" technology; LA 1 was the first road or bridge in Louisiana to have tolls collected in this method. Travelers using the facilities were required to pre-pay either online, by phone, or at one of five kiosks north of the expressway, or use the "GeauxPass", an electronic toll collection transponder (or "toll tag") that collects tolls electronically. The GeauxPass is also compatible with the Crescent City Connection and all future Louisiana toll roads and the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, but not the ferries. Beginning in mid June, 2012, a toll plaza was opened at the access ramp in Leeville. Vehicles must now pay before accessing the expressway and the pre-pay kiosks have been removed from their respective sites. The toll plaza accepts cash or credit/debit cards. GeauxPass is still accepted.

Funding for the project through taxes and grants have not been available, leading to the requirement to fund construction through collecting toll revenues. By law, LA 1 toll revenues may only be utilized to pay back construction loan debt the DOTD undertook in order to construct the new expressway.

The first portion of this project, a 2 lane toll bridge over Bayou Lafourche, opened on July 8, 2009. Tolling of the new bridge began on August 3.

The 2 lane section from Leeville to Port Fourchon opened on December 9, 2011. Funding is being secured for the section between Leeville and Golden Meadow with the eventual widening of the entire corridor to four lanes.

Read more about this topic:  Louisiana Highway 1

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