Segment 3, LA 40/41 to LA 435, is one of three segments that comprise the $216 million "LA 3241: I-12 to Bush, LA" project. Segment 3 will be the first segment to open to the public. The three segments combined will create a 20-mile corridor between I-12 and Bush.
Segment 3 is a 5.6-mile stretch of highway parallel to LA 41, a heavily traveled two-lane road about a mile to the east. The new stretch of highway opening should immediately ease congestion on LA 41, with an average daily traffic count of over 3,000.
Segment 3 of the LA 3241 project began construction in late 2021 at $46 million.
Segment 2 of the project, an 8-mile stretch connecting Talisheek (LA 435) to LA 36, is well underway and, weather permitting, expected to open later this year. Segment 2 began construction in early 2022 at $63 million.
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The final segment, Segment 1, will later connect LA 36 to the I-12/LA 434 interchange. It is expected to go out to bid this summer and is estimated to cost $107 million.
The new LA 3241 highway, including all segments, features J-Turns and roundabouts to eliminate cross-traffic and traffic light delays, respectively. These engineering features are expected to reduce high-impact crashes and improve traffic flow.
The "LA 3241: I-12 to Bush, LA" project was originally part of the Transportation Infrastructure Model for Economic Development Program, created in 1989. The program aimed to increase economic development in Louisiana through investment in transportation improvement projects. Funding was later switched to the state’s highway priority program.
State leaders expect connecting I-12 to northern St. Tammany and Washington Parish communities will help grow the economies in towns such as Sun and Bogalusa, which currently connect to the interstate system through several connecting state roads. Currently, the route between Bogalusa and I-12 is about 40 miles, but when all segments of the new LA 3241 are complete, the total will drop closer to 30 miles.
