Interior Road of Louisiana

[RoadEyePie]

I've heard terrible things about the Interstates through Louisiana but how are the "secondary" roads. Specifically US Rt. 65 / 84 from I-20 to Alexandria and then US Rt. 165 to I-10 from Alexandria. I'm traveling east to west and looking for a route to drop from I-20 to I-10.

[R.Wold]

Ive traveled secondary roads around 10 from Florida through Louisiana to Texas, 90 from NO to New Iberia, took in Grand Isle (I south of 90) and Avery Island, 82 from Abbeville west to Port Arthur (another free ferry), I could go on and on. No troubles or complaints and nothing but high praise for the Louisiana DOT, but if you are concerned or in a hurry just take 55.

[WPRam]

From I-20 to I-10, you would take I-49 south from Shreveport to Lafayette. 165 is nice and new, but the speed limit and speed traps will get you! You can go from 55 to 40 to 55 to 30 in one mile. That’s were I got my first ticket after 15 years without one.

[Bubba1]

I-49 from Shreveport to Alexandria and then from Alexandria south to I-10 is your best bet. It's a good smooth wide road. I-10, I-12 and I-20 are rough due to their expansion joints. I-49 doesn't suffer from that affliction. In my opinion I-12 between Baton Rouge and New Orleans is the worst of the lot. I travel frequently between the D/FW area in Texas and Alexandria and use I-49. There are to many small towns on 71, 165 or 167 with stoplights and turns for my liking. They are for most part two lane roads with no turn lanes or shoulders. And if you get there during mid afternoon you get stick behind school buses and logging trucks. I haven't been on Rt 65/84 in years, but it was similar to 167 back then. JM2CW.


Mike H

[Isaac-1]

I live in western Louisiana, and as a whole the state does not tend to have very good roads. Beyond that it is hit or miss on if they have been repaved in the last few years, it seems in general the issue is that the state lets roads get in very poor condition before repaving them, but once repaved they are fairly good for several years.




Bubba1, I suspect it has been a number of years since you took some of those highways. 167 and 165 are now fully 4 lanes, and have been for a few years, with bypasses around most of the worst traffic spots, though there are a few small towns.





Having said that I have not driven on Hwy 65 in many, many years, certainly not in the last 10, years, perhaps not in the last 20. Beyond that I can say that 84 from Natchez to Alexandria was in good shape when I last drove it in my coach 36 months ago, and seemed to have been recently repaved at that time. I have driven sections of Hwy 165 multiple times in the last couple of years, in my car, and my wife's car, but not in my coach which is more sensitive to pavement condition, as I recall it was good. The entire length of Hwy 165 was widened to convert it into a 4 lane highway about 10-15 years ago.


Ike


p.s. if you do go down to I-10 be aware there is construction, the I-210 bypass has / had major redecking work going on on the bridge across the ship channel. I know they had reopened it to traffic for Thanksgiving, but did not have all the final work done yet, and I am not sure if they will be closing it again after the holiday weekend or not. (I did not drive across it, but talked to relatives that did yesterday). Also once in Texas there is about a 20 mile stretch west of Beaumont with concrete K rails off and on, on both sides of the lanes, in some places making the lanes narrower than others...


p.p.s. if you do take Hwy 165 south out of Alexandria, be aware Woodworth, Forest Hill and Glenmora are all considered to be speed trap towns.