History

A loop system for Baton Rouge to supplement Interstates 10 and 12 has been discussed for decades and studied extensively, in the mid-1990’s, again in the late 1990s for a southern bypass and most recently in 2004 for a northern bypass. 

Among the reasons Louisiana has not constructed bypasses has been the lack of funding for large public infrastructure projects in Louisiana.   Traditional financing sources for transportation projects, the state and federal gas taxes, have been unable to keep up with transportation demands, a common national trend for large highway projects.   In communities such as Baton Rouge, which has a high growth rate and ever-increasing traffic congestion, the need is critical for new financing models.

East Baton Rouge and surrounding parish leaders recognize this situation and are exploring new models of finance, including tollways.