New I-10 bridge planned (New Orleans, Baton Rouge: hotel, high school, live)

[annie_himself]

Originally Posted by CookieSkoon

See, that's something we agree on wholly. haha I may visit, but you couldn't pay me to move back to LA.

It is good to see that bridge being replaced though. It was obviously in terrible shape back in 2007, can't imagine what it's been like since I moved away in 2014.

I could do New Orleans if they could get the poverty in check, but without the gentrification so I doubt i'll be back.

[bpollen]

Originally Posted by cBach

Well the new I-10 bridge will be located slightly north of the existing one. It would be a cable stayed bridge, it is absolutely beautiful. It would have 6 lanes, 3 in each direction plus a pedestrian and bikeway.

The exit into Westlake would be elevated and cross over the railroad tracks so that would alleviate that crossing.

The bridge would be paid by private companies and funded by tolls. Because of the very high traffic volume on I-10, most of the funding for this would actually be paid by people passing through. Locals would get a tax break.

I-10 Bridge Task Force shares recommendations with Alliance for Positive Growth

A toll? I used to have to use a toll road to go to work. Do you have any idea what kind of cost that adds to a worker's expense to get to and from work? It's day after day, twice a day, week after week, year after year. And it goes up every year. Year after year. Tolls never end, even though they say they will.

And you'll have to buy a toll card and put it on your vehicle. You have to pay for those. When you get a new car, you can try and peel it off and put it on the new vehicle. If it doesn't work, you'll have to buy a new one.

The toll got so costly over the years, that people who were low paid workers couldn't use the toll road, anymore. They had to spend a lot of time working their way in roundabout ways to get to work, or taking a bus that used the long, roundabout ways.

Are they going to keep the old bridge, for those who can't afford the toll?

Tolls are great for those who can afford them, though.

[cBach]

Originally Posted by bpollen

A toll? I used to have to use a toll road to go to work. Do you have any idea what kind of cost that adds to a worker's expense to get to and from work? It's day after day, twice a day, week after week, year after year. And it goes up every year. Year after year. Tolls never end, even though they say they will.

And you'll have to buy a toll card and put it on your vehicle. You have to pay for those. When you get a new car, you can try and peel it off and put it on the new vehicle. If it doesn't work, you'll have to buy a new one.

The toll got so costly over the years, that people who were low paid workers couldn't use the toll road, anymore. They had to spend a lot of time working their way in roundabout ways to get to work, or taking a bus that used the long, roundabout ways.

Are they going to keep the old bridge, for those who can't afford the toll?

Tolls are great for those who can afford them, though.

If you can't afford the I-10 tolls then you can take I-210/Israel La Fleur Bridge. They are going to tear down the old I-10 bridge.

Here in Texas where I live, there are tolls everywhere. They work and help get roads built faster. Join the club!

[annie_himself]

The tolls in Houston don't work. Lived there for 2 years, the beltway still gets bumper to bumper to bumper traffic. Taking them in off hours is defeating the purpose. A toll road on a major interstate should be illegal.

[cBach]

Originally Posted by annie_himself

The tolls in Houston don't work. Lived there for 2 years, the beltway still gets bumper to bumper to bumper traffic. Taking them in off hours is defeating the purpose. A toll road on a major interstate should be illegal.

Well tolls are not supposed to "eliminate" traffic, they are simply a funding mechanism to pay for roads when there is not enough tax revenue to pay for them. Texas has low gas taxes so lots of toll roads. Louisiana should've been using tolls for a long time but instead they simply let infrastructure deteriorate.

[annie_himself]

Originally Posted by cBach

Well tolls are not supposed to "eliminate" traffic, they are simply a funding mechanism to pay for roads when there is not enough tax revenue to pay for them. Texas has low gas taxes so lots of toll roads. Louisiana should've been using tolls for a long time but instead they simply let infrastructure deteriorate.

Why do we have to pay a upfront cost when it could come out of taxes, cheaper that way? Because those contractors and multibillion dollar companies lobby to get those tolls. Tolls aren't smart and we absolutely do not need them to fund infrastructure projects. We let oil and gas companies get away with about $6 billion in subsidies over Jindals first term IIRC.

[cBach]

Originally Posted by annie_himself

Why do we have to pay a upfront cost when it could come out of taxes, cheaper that way? Because those contractors and multibillion dollar companies lobby to get those tolls. Tolls aren't smart and we absolutely do not need them to fund infrastructure projects. We let oil and gas companies get away with about $6 billion in subsidies over Jindals first term IIRC.

The only way that I-10 bridge is going to get built in a timely manner is with tolls. Besides most people on that bridge are not even from Louisiana. Get the toll revenue from out of state people to pay for a bridge in the city. That's smart.

[Tom Lennox 70]

Originally Posted by cBach

Oh pleazzze. The I-10 bridge in Baton Rouge is structurally sound. The whole issue with that bridge is that I-10 goes down to 1 lane going east (well it's 2 but one lane exits). If they simply added an extra lane or two the whole bridge wouldn't back up.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ba...!4d-91.1871466

The I-10 bridge over the Calcasieu River is structurally deficient. The rails are falling off. It's horrible!

Also, you claim that tolls are a "Democratic party" thing but if you look at Texas, which is very Republican, almost every new highway is a toll road. They way they paid for the Katy Freeway was with tolls.

Tolls will get the bridge built a lot quicker.

I mean the Baton Rouge area needs an ADDITIONAL bridge in addition to the I-10 (new bridge) and the US-190 one. By the way, the bridge on US-190 in Baton Rouge is officially structurally deficient. That's one of the most interesting bridges anywhere though with the train tracks in the middle.

There really needs to be an additional span between the Sunshine Bridge and the new bridge.

[Tom Lennox 70]

Originally Posted by cBach

If you can't afford the I-10 tolls then you can take I-210/Israel La Fleur Bridge. They are going to tear down the old I-10 bridge.

Here in Texas where I live, there are tolls everywhere. They work and help get roads built faster. Join the club!

For tolls I"m talking other parts of the country, where they promise tolls are only to pay for the construction but they stay.

I do notice that the tolls on the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway have never been removed......

[cBach]

Originally Posted by Tom Lennox 70

For tolls I"m talking other parts of the country, where they promise tolls are only to pay for the construction but they stay.

I do notice that the tolls on the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway have never been removed......

That's because they are always improving it. Previous improvements included:
* Adding a second causeway (previous causeway built in 1956 was just one lane in each direction, toll funds were used to twin the causeway).
* Adding the "crossovers" so you could U-turn. Back in the day once you got on the causeway you were stuck. Tolls were used to pay for that improvement.

The latest improvement is adding shoulders along some of the length:
Safety improvement project slated to begin on Causeway | Causeway Bridge

Do you agree with these improvements or do you wish that the causeway resembled the way it was circa 1956 when it was built as a 2 lane road with no shoulders and no way to turn around?