La DOTD - Ouachita Loop

History of the Ouachita Loop

1968 - In response to the Federal Highway Act of 1962, the Comprehensive Transportation Plan was completed in 1968. The earliest reference to the concept was in the 1968 Long Range Transportation Plan for the Monroe/West Monroe Urbanized Area. It contained a North Loop and a South Loop concept.

1972 - Monroe Metropolitan Area Transportation Study, Level II Review, Annual Report. Prepared by Traffic and Planning Section, Louisiana Department of Highways in cooperation with Federal Highway Administration. In Chapter IV - Recommended Priorities under Stage I (1972-1975), the statement was made that, "The major project included in this stage is the Monroe Loop Parkway from White’s Ferry Road in West Monroe to Forsythe Street in Monroe, a distance of 5.38 miles at an estimated cost of over 7 million dollars." Under Stage III (1980-1985), the major project scheduled was the Monroe Loop Parkway from Arkansas Road in West Monroe to Jackson Street in Monroe, a distance of 9.85 miles at an estimated cost of over 8 million dollars.

1974 - Monroe Metropolitan Area Transportation Study, Level II Review, Annual Report. Prepared by Traffic and Planning Section, Louisiana Department of Highways in cooperation with Federal Highway Administration. Under PLAN IMPLEMENTATION-PROGRAMMED IMPROVEMENTS (CONSTRUCTION PRIORITIES)-MONROE LOOP PARKWAY, the following is written: "A portion of the proposed Monroe Loop Parkway from Millhaven Road to U.S. 165 was changed from Stage II to Stage I. Another portion of the of the Loop from Interstate 20 in West Monroe to White’s Ferry Road was also changed from Stage II to Stage I. Further changes of priorities on the Loop resulted in a portion from White’s Ferry Road to U.S. 165 being changed from Stage I to Stage II."

June, 1978 - Twin Cities Loop Parkway, Monroe-West Monroe-Ouachita Parish, Report # 2, Selection & Evaluation of Preliminary Routes. State Project Nos. 742-00-36, 742-00-43, & 742-00-44. Federal Aid Project Nos. M-6026(001), M-6104(001), & M-4015(001). Prepared for Ouachita Council of Governments by Jenkin, Lazenby & Luttrell. The alignments presented in the Ouachita Parish Comprehensive Development Plan and other practical alternatives were selected for consideration. Segments were eliminated from further consideration in the report, and the report recommended alignments for further consideration.

December, 1980 - Examined again by LA-DOTD through a contract with Modjeski and Masters under State Project No. 700-11-23, Ouachita River Bridge Study, Monroe/West Monroe, LA. Both the North and South Loop Parkway Alignments were evaluated along with four other possible bridge locations across the Ouachita River within the greater Monroe metropolitan area. The recommended location was the Stella-Hudson bridge alignment.

July, 1983 - LA-DOTD contracted with Modjeski and Masters for State Project No. 700-11-23, Ouachita River Bridge Study, Northern Corridor, Monroe/West Monroe, LA. This study recommended that Alternative 2 be given further consideration if a decision is made to build a roadway in a northern corridor. Of the roadway alignments studied, Alternative 2 represented the most acceptable alignment in terms of cost, traffic services, and environmental consequences.

1996 - Monroe Metropolitan Area Transportation Plan Update by Neel-Schaffer under contract to LA-DOTD for State Project No. 736-17-0211, Federal Aid Project No. HPR-0010(017). The development of this Plan analyzed an arterial loop around the Monroe urban area known as the Ouachita Loop. The analysis of the traffic assignment on the Ouachita Loop indicated that the northern half of the facility would be beneficial to traffic movement on the periphery of the Study Area. The northern half of the facility was included in the recommended plan as an unfunded need due to the forecast shortfall of funding at the State and Federal levels.

NHS Bill of 1995 - Paragraph 332(c)(3) of the NHS Bill of 1995 allowed the use of $500,000 to study the feasibility of the Ouachita Loop. This was not new money but had to come from the $29.6 million made available in Section 1105(f) of ISTEA for the extension of I-49 from Shreveport north to the Arkansas border. The required non-federal share was 20% or $125,000.

August 30, 1996 - LA-DOTD advertised for a consultant to prepare a Major Investment Study for the Ouachita Loop.

June 30, 1997 - Notice to proceed was given to HNTB Corporation as prime consultant with subconsultants Lazenby and Associates, Inc., Leader, et al., Fernandez Plans, LLC, and Coastal Environments, Inc. to perform a Major Investment Study.

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Last revised: November 30, 1999