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Interstate 59 in Louisiana

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Interstate Highway in Louisiana, United States This article is about the section of Interstate 59 in Louisiana. For the entire route, see Interstate 59.

Interstate 59 markerInterstate 59
I-59 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by Louisiana DOTD
Length11.48 mi (18.48 km)
ExistedAugust 14, 1957–present
HistoryCompleted December 21, 1965
NHSEntire route
Major junctions
South end I-10 / I-12 in Slidell
Major intersections
North end I-59 / US 11 at Mississippi state line north of Pearl River
Location
CountryUnited States
StateLouisiana
ParishesSt. Tammany
Highway system
  • Louisiana State Highway System
← LA 58→ LA 59

Interstate 59 (I-59) is a part of the Interstate Highway System that runs 445.23 miles (716.53 km) from Slidell, Louisiana, to just outside of Wildwood, Georgia. In the U.S. state of Louisiana, I-59 extends 11.48 miles (18.48 km) from its national southern terminus at I-10 and I-12 in Slidell to the Mississippi state line north of the town of Pearl River. This segment of I-59 is the shortest of the four states which it passes through.

The route is located in the southeastern portion of the state, largely paralleling the older U.S. Route 11 (US 11) corridor for its entire length. All of I-59 in Louisiana is located in St. Tammany Parish. I-59 serves as a major thoroughfare through southeastern Louisiana, providing a fast route for travelers headed to and from New Orleans via I-10 and I-12. The Interstate is also an important hurricane evacuation route for travelers headed away from the warm Gulf Coast.

Route description

I-59 begins at its southern terminus at a partial cloverleaf interchange (parclo) with I-10 (exit 267) and I-12 (exit 85, which also has its eastern terminus) in the northeast portion of the city of Slidell, a suburb of New Orleans, located approximately 20 miles (32 km) east of the city center. Proceeding northward, I-59 crosses through generally wooded areas without much development along the road. About one mile (1.6 km) after the large interchange at its southern terminus, the southbound lanes have a rest area as well as a visitor center for travelers. A brief distance later, I-59 reaches the town of Pearl River and has its first interchange with US 11 as well as LA 1090, a short state highway. US 11 merges with I-59 as the highway continues north, entering some development along the road as the highway intersects with LA 3081 for the town's main district at milepost 5. Immediately following this, I-59/US 11 crosses the west branch of the Pearl River twice in succession before meandering through the marshes of the Honey Island Swamp and reaching another interchange for the former routing of US 11. The surroundings of the road become wooded once again as I-59/US 11 continues through these areas and parallels a service road. The route then comes within close proximity of the water in the swamp before reaching its final interchange in the state for travelers who want to reverse direction and go the opposite direction, or use the service road. Approximately 0.25 miles (0.40 km) later, I-59/US 11 crosses the main branch of the Pearl River to enter Pearl River County, Mississippi.

I-59 southbound at the US 11/LA 1090 interchange in Pearl River

History

I-59 had a long history before its establishment in Louisiana. In 1958, the state spent $45 million more in comparison to 1957 on road work to help improve the network of highways. $112 million in bids were received by LDOTD to help pay for the roads, of which 15,000 miles (24,000 km) were being maintained. The Pearl River bridges crossing the Louisiana-Mississippi border along the relocation of US 11 and I-59 had an estimated cost of $300,000, with Louisiana paying approximately $15,000, Mississippi paying the same amount, and the remainder by federal aid as part of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956.

In 1959, engineers acquired rights of way to start building I-59, which would serve as more of a replacement for US 11. The rights of way would be from the southwest edge of the Honey Island Swamp to an unknown location at Military Road, a distance of 3 miles (4.8 km). During this time, the bridges across the Pearl River were under construction due to the difficulty of the highway through the swamp. The proposed routing was planned to enter Louisiana just south of Picayune, follow the path of the Honey Island Swamp, and bypass Slidell to the east, while coming to Lake Pontchartrain. On August 21, 1960, highway contracts up to $5 million allowed work to go underway. The contract was awarded on a low bid of $3,426,431. Highway Director Ray Burgess announced that the largest project was on I-59, with construction still going on at the West Pearl River bridge and approaches along I-59 within the parish. The work also included grading, drainage structuring, an overpass, twin bridges, and frontage roads.

By 1962, Louisiana had already built over 65 miles (105 km) of Interstate Highways with a total cost of $135,001,873. Burgess stated that $66,811,655 was for construction, while $68,190,218 was for purchase of right of way. The state was aiming to build over 686 miles (1,104 km) around the entire area. The construction on I-59 and I-10 from Picayune to New Orleans, was 25% complete with the Pearl River bridges still to be complete, now at a cost of $345,000. A 3.5-mile (5.6 km) stretch of the Interstate was opened on July 1, 1963, just south of the Mississippi state line, at 10:00 am, with a dedication ceremony being held. In addition, it also extended the length of the existing 5.5 miles (8.9 km) located at the Pearl River bridge, and adding an interchange for US 11 in order to allow travelers to continue south for New Orleans. This section was designed by W. R. Aldrich Construction with an estimated cost of $3,800,000. Additionally, the four-mile (6.4 km) stretch from the end of the completed highway to Slidell became under construction. In 1964, I-59 was almost entirely completed, with a few miles remaining to build, and a 2.9-mile (4.7 km) stretch going northward to the Mississippi state line and connecting with I-59, the Pearl River Turnaround, remained the last project to complete before opening the Interstate. On December 21, 1965, the I-10 Twin Span Bridge was dedicated to the public. At a length of 5.4 miles (8.7 km), it allowed travelers to make a continuous journey from Slidell to New Orleans. The opening of the bridges also filled up the final gap in I-59, allowing travelers to make a continuous journey from Slidell to New Orleans.

Exit list

The entire route is in St. Tammany Parish.

LocationmikmExitDestinationsNotes
Slidell0.000.001
I-10 / I-12 west – New Orleans, Bay St. Louis, Hammond		Southern terminus of I-59; eastern terminus of I-12; signed as exits 1A (I-12), 1B (I-10 east) and 1C (I-10 west); I-10 exit 267; I-12 exit 85
​3.425.503

US 11 south / LA 1090 south – Pearl River		Southern end of US 11 concurrency; northern terminus of LA 1090
Pearl River5.17–
6.26		8.32–
10.07		5 LA 3081, Honey Island SwampSigned as exits 5A (LA 3081) and 5B (Honey Island Swamp); northern terminus of LA 3081; to Old US 11
​11.6418.7311Pearl River Turnaround
12.06–
0.00		19.41–
0.00

I-59 north / US 11 north – Hattiesburg		Continuation into Mississippi across the Pearl River
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

  1. "La DOTD GIS Data". Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. September 2015. Retrieved May 2, 2017.
  2. Public Roads Administration (August 14, 1957). Official Route Numbering for the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways as Adopted by the American Association of State Highway Officials (Map). Washington, DC: Public Roads Administration. Archived from the original on July 19, 2017. Retrieved June 14, 2018 – via Wikimedia Commons.
  3. Carey, Frank (December 22, 1965). "Ceremony Opens New Lake Spans". The Times. Shreveport. p. 15. Retrieved September 25, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. "Twin Bridges Open To Traffic". The St. Tammany Farmer. Covington. December 24, 1965. p. 1. Retrieved September 25, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. Starks, Edward (January 27, 2022). "Table 1: Main Routes of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System Of Interstate and Defense Highways as of December 31, 2021". FHWA Route Log and Finder List. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  6. Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. Official Highway Map (PDF) (Map). Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  7. "Louisiana Rest Areas | Roadside LA Rest Stops | Maps | Facilities". Louisiana Rest Areas. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  8. "Overview Map of I-59 in Louisiana" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved May 14, 2017.
  9. Office of Multimodal Planning (February 2012). St. Tammany Parish (East Section) (PDF) (Map). Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. Retrieved May 14, 2017.
  10. Office of Multimodal Planning (February 2012). District 62: Official Control Section Map / Construction and Maintenance (PDF) (Map). Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. Retrieved May 14, 2017.
  11. "State Spends $45 Million More in '58 on Road Work". Daily World. Opelousas, Louisiana. December 31, 1958. p. 18. Retrieved September 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. "Step Up Work On New US Highway". St. Tammany Farmer. December 4, 1959. p. 6. Retrieved September 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. "$5 Million Highway Contracts Slated To Get Underway". The Daily Advertiser. August 21, 1960. p. 40. Retrieved September 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. "Interstate System Progresses In Louisiana In Link By Link Job". St. Tammany Farmer. November 9, 1962. p. 1. Retrieved September 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. "Interstate - Continued From Page One". St. Tammany Farmer. November 9, 1962. p. 2. Retrieved September 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. "New Stretch On Interstate 59 Opened July 1st". The Madison Journal. July 5, 1963. p. 6. Retrieved September 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. "Important Interstate Highways In Parish". St. Tammany Farmer. September 11, 1964. p. 1. Retrieved September 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. "Louisiana News Briefs". The Bastrop Daily Enterprise. December 21, 1965. p. 8. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  19. "La DOTD GIS Data". Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. September 2015. Retrieved May 14, 2017.
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