The first northbound U.S. 61 shield, posted on Tulane
Avenue northbound. Tulane Avenue transitions from U.S. 90 to U.S. 61 at the intersection of Broad Avenue.
The last northbound U.S. 61 shield was located near Grand Portage, Minnesota near the
Canadian border, but a truncation of that highway now sees the northern terminus at Forest Lake,
Minnesota. Photo taken 11/06/99.
Traveling the Airline Highway between the city of Kenner (pop.
70,517) and Saint Rose (pop. 6,540). Ahead is the northern terminus of Louisiana 50 (Almedia Road).
Almedia Road provides one of two roads between U.S. 61 and Louisiana 48 (River Road). Photo taken 10/23/03.
The symmetrical stack interchange of Interstate 310 and U.S. 61
(Airline Highway) is situated just west of the Louisiana 50 (Almedia Road) intersection. Photo taken 10/23/03.
U.S. 61 (Airline Highway) northbound at Louisiana 50 (Almedia
Road). Louisiana 50 and nearby Louisiana 626 (Saint Rose Avenue) provide connections to the community of
Saint Rose. Photo taken 10/23/03.
U.S. 61 northbound reassurance shield posted after the
intersection with Louisiana 50 (Almedia Road). Photo taken 10/23/03.
The junction of U.S. 61 (Airline Highway) and Interstate 310
composes a four-level stack interchange over prime tupelo and cypress swamp. Thus all elements of the
connection are elevated except for U.S. 61 itself. Pictured here is the northbound on-ramp and ramp partition
to the 11.50-mile Interstate. Interstate 310 links U.S. 90 at Boutte (pop. 2,181) with Interstate 10 near the Louis B.
Armstrong International Airport (Exit 220). Photos taken 10/22/03 & 10/23/03.
U.S. 61 (Airline Highway) northbound at the southern terminus
of U.S. 51 at LaPlace (pop. 27,684). U.S. 51 begins to the right and travels three miles northward to
junction Interstate 10 & 55. The highway merges onto Interstate 55 at Exit 1 and overlaps with the freeway
through to Ponchatoula (pop. 5,180) and Hammond (pop. 17,639). Photo taken 11/06/99.
The junction between U.S. 61 & 190 (Airline Highway) and
Interstate 110 in Baton Rouge (pop. 227,818) composes a four-level symmetrical stack interchange. Pictured
here is the flyover split of ramps for Interstate 110 north and south from the Airline Highway westbound.
Photo taken 08/12/02.
Louisiana 964 merges onto U.S. 61 to cross Thompson Creek
between East and West Feliciana Parishes. The 0.7-mile overlap concludes at the intersection depicted here
where Louisiana 964 westbound departs for the community of Riddle. The 19.14-mile state highway ends
3.1 miles to the south. U.S. 61 otherwise continues northward six miles to junction Louisiana 10 at Saint
Francisville (pop. 1,712) and 22 miles to the Mississippi state line. Photos taken 10/13/03.
Southbound
A pair of U.S. 61 reassurance shields are posted just south
of the Louisiana 964 intersection southeast of Saint Francisville. Louisiana 964 merges onto the freeway
for 0.7 miles to cross Thompson Creek into East Feliciana Parish. From there Louisiana 964 loops 15.3 miles
east of U.S. 61 to a point three miles north of Scotlandville in Baton Rouge. The highway represents the
original U.S. 61 and is signed as Old Scenic Highway. U.S. 61 follows Scenic Highway from here to Baton
Rouge and junction U.S. 190 (Airline Highway). Photo taken 10/13/03.
U.S. 61 (Scenic Highway) approaching the southbound beginning of
Interstate 110 at the Scotlandville neighborhood of the city of Baton Rouge (pop. 227,818). Interstate 110
provides a direct connection between north Baton Rouge and U.S. 61 to Interstate 10 and downtown.
Photo taken 10/13/03.
Interstate 110 southbound departs U.S. 61 (Scenic Highway).
The freeway travels 8.89 miles between Scotlandville and Exit 155 of Interstate 10. The freeway intersects
U.S. 61 again at the Exit 5 symmetrical stack interchange three miles to the south. The overcrossing in the
background is a pedestrian bridge. Photo taken 10/13/03.
U.S. 61 & 190 (Airline Highway) are considered U.S. 61 & 190
Bypass according to the shield assembly posted just after the Scenic Highway interchange. However according
to US-Highways.com, the
eight-mile Bypass designation was removed by 1963. Photo taken 10/13/03.
U.S. 190 eastbound at the loop ramp to U.S. 61 (Scenic Highway)
northbound. Scenic Highway travels northward two miles to the Scotlandville neighborhood of the city and
the northern terminus of Interstate 110. U.S. 61 provides the main highway between Baton Rouge and Natchez,
Mississippi. However motorists are advised to take Interstate 110 from the upcoming interchange for Natchez
over U.S. 61 here. Photo taken 10/13/03.
The interchange of U.S. 61/190 with Interstate 110
is a mammoth four-level symmetrical stack. The nature of the ramps aid in traffic movements of the many
lumbering trucks moving to/from the industrial areas near the Mississippi River. This guide sign is posted
for Interstate 110 bound traffic on U.S. 61 south/U.S. 190 east. The right-hand guide sign refers to the
Louisiana 19 and 67 connections with the Baker (pop. 13,793) and Zachary (pop. 11,275) communities via U.S.
61/190 east and Interstate 110 north. Guide signage is also posted for Metro Airport and Saint Francisville
via Interstate 110 north. Top photo taken 08/12/02; bottom photo taken 10/13/03
Traffic to Interstate 110 ascends into the symmetrical
stack interchange from the Airline Highway eastbound. U.S. 61 & 190 follow a two-mile freeway between Scenic
Highway and Louisiana 67 (Plank Road). Interstate 110 travels 5.5 miles south through downtown to Interstate
10 and three miles north to U.S. 61 (Scenic Highway) at Scotlandville. Photo taken 10/13/03.
A collector/distributor roadway serves the Louisiana 67
(Plank Road) cloverleaf interchange just east of the Interstate 110 stack interchange. Pictured here is
the 0.25-mile overhead for the Plank Road off-ramp. Photo taken 10/13/03.
The ramp to Louisiana 67 travels underneath the Interstate
110 off-ramps to U.S. 61 south & 190 east. Louisiana 67 (Plank Road) travels through the northern suburbs
of Zachary and Baker on the 27-mile drive to Clinton (pop. 1,998) and junction Louisiana 10. Photo taken 10/13/03.
U.S. 61 (Airline Highway) southbound at the southern terminus
of Louisiana 3188 (Belle Terre Boulevard). Development is heavy along U.S. 61 throughout this stretch, as
the communities of Reserve (pop. 9,111) and Laplace continue to growth. Photo taken 06/01.
Close-up of the shield assembly depicted in the above photograph.
Louisiana 3188 is a divided four-lane highway traveling 2.09 miles between the Airline Highway and the Exit
206 trumpet interchange of Interstate 10. The surface arterial sees residential development along Belle
Terre Boulevard through to the junction with Interstate 10. Photo taken 06/01.
Interstate 310 advance guide sign on U.S. 61 (Airline Highway)
southbound. Interstate 310 is a southwest spur between Interstate 10 and U.S. 90 at Boutte (pop. 2,181).
The freeway is elevated for most of its length as it crosses over swamplands between the Mississippi River
and Lake Pontchartrain. Photo taken 11/06/99.
The interchange between Interstate 310 and U.S. 61
reminds one more of Los Angeles, than Louisiana. The pervasive stack interchange features sweeping flyovers
high above the swamplands below. U.S. 61 (Airline Highway) crosses underneath the Interstate 310 viaduct and
associated ramps just barely above the mucky lands nearby. The high-speed ramps are in place due to the
nearby New Orleans International Airport and the amount of traffic that the complex generates. U.S. 61 passes
by the airport to the south, while Interstate 310 ties into Interstate 10 just west of the facility. Photos
taken 11/06/99.
Just east of the Interstate 310 stack interchange is the
northern terminus of the short Louisiana 50 (Almedia Road). The state highway spurs 0.85 miles to the
southeast between U.S. 61 and Louisiana 48 (River Road) at Saint Rose (pop. 6,540). Photo taken 11/12/99.
U.S. 61 (Airline Highway) southbound at the northern terminus
of Louisiana 3154 (Hickory Drive). David Drive enters the intersection from Power and Veterans Boulevard
to the northwest in the city of Kenner (pop. 70,517). Louisiana 3154 connects U.S. 61 to Louisiana 3139
(Earhart Expressway) and Louisiana 48 (Jefferson Highway) at Harahan (pop. 9,885). Louisiana 3154 constitutes
3.13 miles. Photo taken 08/02/02.
The junction of U.S. 61 (Airline Highway) with
Louisiana 3046 (Causeway Boulevard) in Metairie (pop. 146,136). Featured here is an unusual interchange
that features an elevated rotary between the two highways. The interchange is symmetrical with ramps protruding
in all directions between the two highways. Causeway Boulevard is a heavily traveled arterial between the
Lake Pontchartrain Causeway southward to U.S. 90 (Jefferson Highway). The Louisiana 3046 designation only
applies to 0.92 miles of Causeway Boulevard between U.S. 61 and 90. Photos taken 10/22/03.
U.S. 61 (Tulane Avenue) southbound draws to a close
at junction U.S. 90 (Broad Avenue). An end sign is posted within the median of Tulane Avenue at the Broad
Avenue intersection. U.S. 90 west turns from Broad Avenue onto Tulane Avenue south at the intersection.
From here U.S. 90 travels 0.7 miles to the Interstate 10 viaduct north of downtown New Orleans.
Photo taken 11/06/99.
Night time perspective of the U.S. 61 southern terminus.
To the right Broad Avenue travels four blocks over Interstate 10 and six blocks to Earhart Boulevard (Louisiana
3139). A partial cloverleaf interchange exists on Broad Avenue with Poydras Street between the freeway
overcrossing and Tulane Avenue. Photo taken 10/22/03.
