| Business U.S. 51 begins via the Exit 23 off-ramp of Interstate
55 & U.S. 51 northbound. The junction between the three highways is a trumpet interchange. Photo taken 10/23/03.
|
| Interstate 55 & U.S. 51 reassurance shields posted after
the Exit 26 departure of U.S. 51 Business. A frontage road system begins for the freeway ahead. Photo taken 10/23/03.
|
| The freeway curves into the city of Ponchatoula (pop. 5,180)
one mile south of the Exit 26 cloverleaf interchange with Louisiana 22 (Pine Street). Photo taken 10/23/03.
|
| The frontage road system comes into view as Interstate 55
& U.S. 51 near the Exit 26 collector/distributor road departure for Louisiana 26 (Pine Street).
Photo taken 10/23/03.
|
| Sign bridge on Interstate 55/U.S. 51 northbound at the
Exit 26 collector/distributor ramp for Louisiana 22. The state highway crosses Interstate 55 from Springfield
(pop. 395) to the west into downtown Pontchatoula. Photo taken 10/23/03.
|
| The eastbound off-ramp for Louisiana 22 (Pine Street) departs
the Exit 26 c/d roadway. Pine Street intersects U.S. 51 Business in one block. From there the two
highways overlap 0.9 miles into downtown Ponchatoula to the intersection of Railroad Avenue. Photo taken 10/23/03.
|
| The c/d roadway reduces to one lane underneath the Pine
Street overpass. The cloverleaf ramp to Louisiana 26 westbound departs ahead. The state highway continues west
out of Ponchatoula 5.5 miles to junction Louisiana 43 at the village of Springfield. Photo taken 10/23/03.
|
| Mileage sign posted on the freeway between Exits 26 and 28.
The Mississippi state capital of Jackson (pop. 184,256) resides 128 miles north at junction Interstate 20.
Photo taken 10/23/03.
|
| U.S. 51 and Interstate 55 part ways at the Exit 28 trumpet
interchange with Morrison Boulevard. U.S. 51 travels east of Interstate 55 through the city of Hammond
as Interstate 55 prepares for its junction with Interstate 12. Photo taken 10/23/03.
|
| Early evening sunshine sets the tone for this northbound
Interstate 55 photograph of the Interstate 12 (Exits 29A/B) cloverleaf interchange. Leaving the freeway here
is the Exit 29A off-ramp to Interstate 12 eastbound. Motorists utilizing this ramp will reach the city of
Slidell (pop. 25,695) in 46 miles and Interstates 10 & 59 in 47 miles. Photo taken 06/01.
|
| 38 miles of Interstate 12 exist between Interstate 55
and Interstate 10 at the city of Baton Rouge (pop. 227,818). Pictured here is the Exit 29B loop ramp to
Interstate 12 west from Interstate 55 northbound. Photo taken 10/23/03.
|
| U.S. 190 constitutes the main east-west surface arterial
through the city of Hammond (pop. 17,639). The federal highway parallels Interstate 12 from the city of Baton
Rouge eastward to Slidell. Depicted here is the one-mile guide sign of Exit 31 for U.S. 190 and the Louisiana
1040 (Old Baton Rouge Highway) overcrossing. Photo taken 10/23/03.
|
| Drawing to within one half mile of U.S. 190 (Exit 31) on
Interstate 55 northbound. U.S. 190 splits between the one-way couplet of Morris Avenue (eastbound) and
Thomas Street (westbound) through downtown Hammond. Photo taken 10/23/03.
|
| Exit 31 departs Interstate 55 for U.S. 190 and the city of Hammond.
U.S. 190 travels 4.5 miles west of the folded cloverleaf interchange to the community of Albany (pop. 865)
and junction Louisiana 43. Photo taken 10/23/03.
|
| Interstate 55 ascends over a railroad line one half mile
south of the Exit 32 junction with Louisiana 3234 west of Hammond. The 2.79-mile state highway travels
University Avenue eastward from Interstate 55 to Louisiana 1065 (Cherry Street). Photo taken 10/23/03.
|
| University Avenue becomes Wardline Road west of the Exit 32
diamond interchange. Wardline Road parallels U.S. 190 and Louisiana 1064 between the freeway and Durbin Road.
Photo taken 10/23/03.
|
| Louisiana 442 intersects Interstate 55 at Exit 36 near
the community of Tickfaw (pop. 617). Pictured here is the one-mile guide sign for the diamond interchange and the
New Genessee Road overpass. Photo taken 10/23/03.
|
| Exit 36 leaves Interstate 55 northbound one mile west of Tickfaw.
Louisiana 442 travels through rural environs for most of the 23.37-mile trek between Louisiana 63 and 40.
Photo taken 10/23/03.
|
| Nearing the town of Independence (pop. 1,724) and the Exit 41
junction with Louisiana 40. Crossing over the freeway at the one-mile guide sign for Louisiana 40 is
Louisiana 1063. Photo taken 10/23/03.
|
| Louisiana 40 begins 5.5 miles west at junction Louisiana 43.
East of Independence the state highway continues eastward to Loranger and Folsom (pop. 525) en route to its terminus
at Louisiana 41 at Bush. The state highway is 53.16 miles in length. Photo taken 10/23/03.
|
| Just west of Amite (pop. 4,110) is the Louisiana 16 (Oak Street) interchange
of Interstate 55 (Exit 47). The state highway loops 110.72 miles north of Lake Maurepas and Pontchartrain
through the communities of Port Vincent (pop. 463), Denham Springs (pop. 8,757), Watson, Montpelier (pop. 214), Amite,
Holton, Franklinton (pop. 3,657), and Sun (pop. 471). Photo taken 10/23/03.
|
| Traveling north on Interstate 55 at the Pikes Road overcrossing
and one-mile guide sign of Exit 50 (Louisiana 1048). Louisiana 1048 is a short highway comprising 4.97 miles
between Louisiana 1047 and U.S. 51 at Arcola. Photo taken 10/23/03.
|
| Interstate 55 northbound one mile south of Exit 53 and Louisiana
10. Louisiana 10 intersects Interstate 55 nine miles east of the Saint Helena Parish seat of Greensburg (pop. 631)
and one mile west of Fluker and junction U.S. 51. Photo taken 10/23/03.
|
| Traffic to Louisiana 10 departs Interstate 55 at Exit 53.
Louisiana 10 nearly travels the width of the state beginning at U.S. 171 (Pickering) and ending at the
Mississippi State line (Pearl River). The state highway tallies 250.03 miles. Photo taken 10/23/03.
|
| Northbound reassurance shield posted after the merge of
Louisiana 10 traffic onto the freeway mainline. Photo taken 10/23/03.
|
| Three miles north of Louisiana 10 (Exit 53) is the one-mile
guide sign of Louisiana 440 (Exit 57). The state highway junctions with the freeway one mile west of
Tangipahoa (pop. 747) and junction U.S. 51. Photo taken 10/23/03.
|
| The final exit within the Pelican State is that of Exit 61
with Louisiana 38 (Avenue G). Louisiana 38 constitutes 48.64 miles between Darlington (junction Louisiana
10) and Louisiana 430 in Washington Parish. Photo taken 10/23/03.
|
| Interstate 55 northbound at the Exit 61 diamond interchange
with Louisiana 38 (Avenue G). The junction resides just west of the town of Kentwood (pop. 2,205). Louisiana
38 meanders ten miles west to Easleyville and junction Louisiana 43. One mile south via Louisiana 43 is the
second Exit 61 control point of Liverpool. Photo taken 10/23/03.
|
| Crossing the Mississippi State line into Pike County near the
community of Oskya (pop. 481). The first exit of the Magnolia state departs in one half mile for Mississippi
584. Photo taken 10/23/03.
|
| Concrete pavement remains in place on Interstate 55 throughout the Hammond and Pontchatoula areas. This photograph shows advance guide signage for the Interstate 12 interchange (Exits 29B/A). Interstate 55 is 35 miles removed from the Mississippi state line at this point. Photo taken 06/01.
|
| Southbound Interstate 55 at Exit 29B for Interstate 12 west to Baton Rouge. The capital city is situated 39 miles to the west along the freeway. The Slidell cloverleaf ramp is ahead (Exit 29A), with Interstate 55 traveling onward towards Pontchatoula and the Greater New Orleans metropolitan area. Photo taken 06/01.
|
| Scenes Related to Interstate 55
|
| Northbound old U.S. 51 at the Rudduck interchange of Interstate 55. The old roadway parallels Interstate 55 from Exit 1 northward through Manchac. Although obscured by the vegetation, the original roadbed of U.S. 51 can be seen to the right. The pavement is fairly intact, with the most evident decay seen in the leftover wooden supports and planks for the many water ditch bridges. Photo taken 11/06/99.
|
| At the west end of the short access road is this gunshot ridden set of Interstate 55 and U.S. 51 southbound shields. When you get an isolated interchange like this, all bets are off as to how long the area signage will survive. Photo taken 11/06/99.
|
| Shifting to old U.S. 51, the view looks southward at the two lane concrete bridge over Manchac Pass. To the left are wooden supports from the original U.S. 51 bridge, with a railroad lift bridge beyond the remnants. Photo taken 06/01.
|
| The area of Manchac is nothing more then a marina and a few fishing shacks. Looking from the northern banks of Manchac Pass is a closer look of the original U.S. 51 bridge remnants, the second generation U.S. 51, and current U.S. 51 and Interstate 55. Photo taken 06/01.
|
| A wider perspective shows the railroad lift bridge alongside Interstate 55/current U.S. 51, old U.S. 51, and original the U.S. 51 bridge remnants. Manchac Pass opens out to Lake Pontchartrain not far from this locale. Photo taken 06/01.
|
| The highway shields at the Exit 15 interchange are neglected just as the ones were at Rudduck/Exit 7. With that stated, this location has the only known Interstate 55 Louisiana shields left within the Pelican State. This first photo shows the signs that were to face westbound for the northbound return ramp. However the pole is cockeyed, and the signs actually face the ramp to the northwest. Photo taken 06/01.
|
| Detail of the shields in the above photograph reveal more gunshot damage with the sign face peeling badly. In the background is old U.S. 51 and a guide sign for Manchac. Photo taken 06/01.
|
| Turning around from the northbound on-ramp to the west, is the end of the access road and these shields for the southbound ramp. The camera flash is activated with this photograph, and shows that although the shields are faded, they still retain some reflectivity. Photo taken 06/01.
|
| Contextually speaking, the signs are at the end of the ramp, where all traffic must turn left or U-turn. Beyond the guard rail and signs is wetlands. This Interstate 55 Louisiana shield, and the one in the first two photographs, are the only two posted at this interchange. Photo taken 06/01.
|
Page Updated March 2, 2004.
