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Interstate 49 Northbound (Shreveport Vicinity)

The Guide to Interstate 49 is split into four components:

Northbound
A third parish shield sighting on an Interstate 49 northbound exit sign is found for the Exit 142 junction with Natchitoches Parish 547 (Posey Road). Photo taken 10/18/03.
Natchitoches Parish 547 (Posey Road) travels eight miles westward from Interstate 49 to junction Louisiana 485. Eastward Posey Road intersects Johnson Chute Road in one mile. Photo taken 10/18/03.
Interstate 49 northbound at the Posey Road diamond interchange (Exit 142). The Natchitoches Parish 547 connection with Johnson Chute Road allows drivers the option of continuing east to 2.5 miles to Louisiana 1 or turning north 4.3 miles to Louisiana 485. Photo taken 10/18/03.
Louisiana 485 itself intersects Interstate 49 at Exit 148. The 17.13-mile highway loops northward from Robeline (junction Louisiana 6) to Powhatan (pop. 141) and junction Louisiana 1. Photo taken 10/18/03.
The community of Allen resides nearby to Interstate 49 on Louisiana 485 just west of Exit 148. Natchitoches Parish 449 (Allen Marthaville Road) travels southwest from Allen to Marthaville and junction Louisiana 120 as Louisiana 485 turns southward. Photo taken 10/18/03.
Northbound at the Exit 148 off-ramp for Louisiana 485. Six miles to the northeast is the village of Powhatan. Photo taken 10/18/03.
The final Natchitoches Parish interchange is that of Exit 155 with Louisiana 174 near the community of Ajax. Photo taken 10/18/03.
Interstate 49 northbound one half mile south of Louisiana 174 (Exit 155). The east-west highway travels 31.98 miles between Louisiana 191 at the Toledo Bend Reservoir to Lake End and junction Louisiana 1. Pleasant Hill (pop. 786) is the largest settlement along the rural route. Photo taken 10/18/03.

Interstate 49 northbound at Louisiana 174 (Exit 155). Lake End is 4.5 miles to the east. Seven miles north of there along Louisiana 1 is junction U.S. 84 & 371 and the village of Armistead. U.S. 84 & 371 travel three miles east of Armistead to Coushatta (pop. 2,299) and junction U.S. 71. Photo taken 10/18/03.
Now in Desoto Parish, Interstate 49 nears the relocated southern terminus of U.S. 371 and junction Louisiana 177 at Exit 162. The federal highway originally existed from 1932 to 1971 between Bemidji and Little Falls, Minnesota. In 1994 the number was resurrected for the states of Arkansas and Louisiana for an alignment between Coushatta and DeQueen, Arkansas (pop. 5,765).1 By 2001 the federal highway saw relocation from Coushatta to the Exit 162 interchange near Evelyn. Photo taken 10/18/03.
Traffic to U.S. 371 northbound and Louisiana 177 departs Interstate 49 at the Exit 162 off-ramp. Louisiana 177 travels 17.12 miles between junction Louisiana 175 near Pleasant Hill (pop. 786) and junction U.S. 84 & Louisiana 1 three miles north of Armistead. Photo taken 10/18/03.
The end of the Exit 162 off-ramp reveals a U.S. 371 shield pointed toward Louisiana 177 northbound. U.S 371 & Louisiana 177 overlap six miles between Interstate 49 and Gahagan (U.S. 84 & Louisiana 1). From there U.S. 371 turns eastward on U.S. 84 & Louisiana 1 to Armistead where they split with the state highway. Five miles northeast of Armistead at Edgefield (pop. 190) is the original U.S. 371 southern terminus at junction U.S. 71. Photo taken 10/18/03.
One-mile guide sign for the Asseff Road diamond interchange of Exit 169. The local roadway travels 3.5 miles west to the community of Naborton. The village was named after John Nabor, a plantation owner. Photo taken 10/18/03.
Now one half mile south of Asseff Road (Exit 169) on Interstate 49 northbound. 1.8 miles to the east Asseff Road junctions with Louisiana 510. The 9.59-mile route parallels Interstate 49 between U.S. 84 and U.S. 371 & Louisiana 177. Photo taken 10/18/03.
Interstate 49 northbound at the Asseff Road off-ramp (Exit 169). Photo taken 10/18/03.
Interstate 49 northbound in rural Desoto Parish. Pictured here is the one-mile guide sign for the Exit 172 diamond interchange with U.S. 84. U.S. 84 intersects Interstate 49 midway between the town of Mansfield (pop. 5,582) and village of Grand Bayou. Crossing above the freeway here is Power Plant Road. Photo taken 10/18/03.
One half mile south of Exit 172 (U.S. 84) on Interstate 49 northbound. Slow rolling hills undulate over the landscape of the Red River valley between the Alexandria and Shreveport metropolitan areas. Photo taken 10/18/03.
Motorists wishing to access the Toledo Bend Reservoir along the Texas and Louisiana state line are advised to travel U.S. 84 westbound from Exit 172. Also situated nearby is the Mansfield SCA Civil War Site (accessible from U.S. 84 west to Louisiana 522 south). Photo taken 10/18/03.
Four lanes of concrete travel over U.S. 84 at the Exit 172 interchange nine miles east of Mansfield. U.S. 84 crosses the Texas state line at Logansport (pop. 1,630) twenty miles west of the Desoto Parish seat. Eastward U.S. 84 merges with Louisiana 1 at Grand Bayou in six miles. Photo taken 10/18/03.
Louisiana 509 intersects Interstate 49 just west of Smithport Lake. The state highway loops 16.72 miles between Louisiana 175 at Mansfield to Louisiana 1 near Abington. Photo taken 10/18/03.
Interstate 49 northbound at Exit 177 (Louisiana 509). Louisiana 509 travels 2.5 miles southward to Smithport Lake Road and the community of Carmel. Eastward Louisiana 509 cuts a swath between Smithport and adjacent Clear Lake on the nine mile trek to Louisiana 1 and Bayou Pierre. Photo taken 10/18/03.
Louisiana 175 junctions with Interstate 49 at the next northbound interchange (Exit 186). The north-south highway travels between Mansfield and Louisiana 1 in northern Desoto and southeast Caddo Parishes. Photo taken 10/18/03.
Drawing to within one half mile of the Exit 186 diamond interchange with Louisiana 175. Locally the state highway travels three miles south to Kingston and junction Louisiana 5. Northward a two mile drive takes one to the community of Frierson. Photo taken 10/18/03.
Guide sign and Louisiana 175 shields at the end of the Exit 186 northbound off-ramp. Louisiana typically places this kind of assembly at the end of all rural freeway off-ramps. Photo taken 10/18/03.
Detail of the southbound Louisiana 175 shield. The state highway overall travels between U.S. 171 at Many (pop. 2,889) to Louisiana 1 at Gayles, a distance of 64.04 miles. Photo taken 10/18/03.
The last of five Desoto Parish interchanges is that of the Exit 191 junction with Louisiana 3276 and Desoto Parish 16. Louisiana 3276 travels east from U.S. 171 from Stonewall (pop. 1,668) to Interstate 49. Photo taken 10/18/03.
One-half mile guide sign of Exit 191 on Interstate 49 northbound. Louisiana 3276 travels 4.50 miles east from U.S. 171 to the Exit 191 diamond interchange. Tieing into the junction from the east are Bethel and Stonewall Frierson Roads. These rural highways link the freeway with the Lake Wallace vicinity and Louisiana 175 at Frierson. Photo taken 10/18/03.
Northbound on Interstate 49 at the Exit 191 off-ramp to Louisiana 3276 west and Desoto Parish 16 east. Photo taken 10/18/03.
Seven miles to the north of Exit 191 is the two-mile guide sign of Exit 199. Interstate 49 enters the greater Shreveport-Bossier City metropolitan area (pop. 392,302) upon crossing Wallace Lake into Caddo Parish. Photo taken 10/18/03.
Now in the city limits of Shreveport (pop. 200,145), Interstate 49 approaches Exit 199 for Louisiana 526 (Bert Kouns Industrial Loop). The Bert Kouns Industrial Loop travels between U.S. 79 & 80 (Greenwood Road) and Interstate 20 Exit 8 (Flourney) southeast to 70th Street (Louisiana 511) in Shreveport proper. Photo taken 10/18/03.
Attached to the Flourney Lucas Road overpass are the exit signs for Louisiana 526 (Exit 199) and Louisiana 3132 (Exit 201). Louisiana 526 follows the entire 15.81-mile routing of the Bert Kouns Industrial Loop. Photo taken 10/18/03.
Louisiana 3132 composes the Inner Loop Expressway between Interstate 20 & 220 to Louisiana 526 (Bert Kouns Industrial Loop) outside of Lucas. The freeway provides the most direct route for motorists wishing to access Interstate 20 westbound (Dallas) and U.S. 71/Future Interstate 49 northbound for Texarkana. Photo taken 10/18/03.
Interstate 49 northbound, 0.25 miles south of the Exit 201 symmetrical stack interchange. Louisiana 3132 (Inner Loop Expressway) presently ends 1.50 miles to the east at Louisiana 526. There a half-diamond interchange exists with a freeway stub. Plans are underway to extend the freeway southeastward to Lucas and Louisiana 1. From there it is unclear as to whether or not the Inner Loop Expressway will continue all the way to Interstate 220. While that is planned, the fact that the path takes the alignment through Barksdale Air Force Base remains a large obstacle to the project. Photos taken 10/18/03.
Interstate 49 expands to six overall lanes on its final five mile approach to Interstate 20 near downtown Shreveport. Departing in this northbound scene is the off-ramp to Louisiana 3132 (Exit 201). High speed flyovers carry all movements of traffic between Interstate 49 and the Inner Loop Expressway. Photo taken 10/18/03.

The architecture of the four-level symmetrical stack interchange of Exit 201 features a modern appeal similar to that found in Dallas and Texarkana, Texas. Through til 1996, Interstate 49 ended at Exit 202 just north of the stack interchange. The Inner Loop Expressway composes the ground level of the interchange. Photos taken 10/18/03.

The 1.50-mile overhead for Exit 202 (Louisiana 511) is posted within the Exit 201 stack interchange. Louisiana 511 travels east-west along 70th Street within the Shreveport city limits. Photo taken 10/18/03.
Louisiana 511 begins at U.S. 78 & 80 (Greenwood Road) at Greenwood (pop. 2,458). Pictured here are a pair of advance overheads for Exit 202 on the Interstate 49 northbound mainline and on the adjacent ramps to northbound from Louisiana 3132. Photo taken 10/18/03.
One half mile south of the Exit 202 diamond interchange with Louisiana 511 (70th Street). 70th Street becomes Jimmie Davis Highway upon crossing the Red River into Bossier City (pop. 56,641). Photo taken 10/18/03.
Interstate 49 northbound at the Exit 202 ramp departure for 70th Street. Louisiana 511 ends its 18.11 mile routing at U.S. 71 (Barksdale Boulevard) six miles to the east in Bossier City. Photo taken 10/18/03.
A sound wall system segregates the six lane freeway from the Shreveport city street grid through to the northern terminus at Interstate 20. The speed limit remains at 60 MPH throughout the five mile stretch. Pictured here is an advance overhead of Exit 203 (Hollywood Avenue & Pierremont Road). Photo taken 10/18/03.
Two lanes carry Exit 203 from Interstate 49 northbound to Pierremont Road. The east-west arterial becomes Hollywood Avenue two blocks west at Dowdell Street. Photo taken 10/18/03.
The final mainline interchange of Interstate 49 is Exit 205 with the Kings Highway. The east-west arterial serves the LSU Medical Center and Centenary College on the drive between U.S. 171 (Hearne Avenue) and Louisiana 1 (Youree Drive). Photo taken 10/18/03.
A fourth auxiliary lane travels between Exits 203 and 205 for the Kings Highway off-ramp. Photo taken 10/18/03.
Interstate 49 at the Exit 205 diamond interchange with the Kings Highway. The first sign of the current northern terminal (Interstate 20) is posted on the Kings Highway sign bridge. Photo taken 10/18/03.
The Interstate 49 resides between a railroad line and Southern Avenue on the stretch between Kings Highway and Interstate 20. The control cities of Exit 206 are Dallas (pop. 1,188,580) and Monroe (pop. 53,107). Photo taken 10/18/03.
Interstate 49 northbound expands to four lanes in anticipation of the four-level stack interchange of Exit 206. Traffic that does not depart for Interstate 20 descends onto the surface boulevard Pete Harris Drive. Photo taken 10/18/03.
The final approach of Interstate 49 to Interstate 20 elevates over railroad lines below. Interstate 20 traffic departs in 0.25 miles. Downtown Shreveport resides two miles to the east. Westward Interstate 20 crosses the Texas state line in 17 miles. Photo taken 10/18/03.
The Interstate 49 northbound mainline reduces to two lanes adjacent to the Exit 206 flyovers. Exit 206 partitions above for Interstate 20 east and west. A small sign posted on the sign bridge displays Bossier City for Interstate 20 east. Downtown Bossier city lies three miles to the east. Photo taken 10/18/03.

Views of the Interstate 20 & 49 symmetrical stack interchange as seen from Interstate 49 northbound. The high speed interchange currently represents the northern terminus of the highway. However, plans are underway to extend Interstate 49 northward from Shreveport to Texarkana, Arkansas. Upon completion of the corridor, Interstate 49 will see a relocation onto Louisiana 3132 and Interstate 220 west of the city. Plans originally called for the freeway to continue northward from the stack here to Interstate 220 near the U.S. 71 interchange. However high costs associated with acquiring right of way and community opposition have cancelled this proposal. Thus Interstate 49 will see an overlap with Interstate 220 through to roughly milepost 6. The Inner Loop Expressway will carry Interstate 49 south of Interstate 220 to the Exit 201 stack interchange. The five-mile spur of Interstate 49 north of Louisiana 3132 will likely become Interstate 149. Photo taken 10/18/03.

Descending from the Exit 206 stack toward the intersection of Pete Harris Drive and Murphy Street. The mainline of Interstate 49 becomes Pete Harris Drive at the traffic light ahead. The surface boulevard then continues northward to Louisiana 173 (Caddo Street), a distance of roughly 0.8 miles. Photo taken 10/18/03.
Interstate 20 trailblazers are posted at the Interstate 49 end intersection with Murphy Street. Murphy Street provides an east-west surface arterial between Hearne Avenue and U.S. 79 & 80 (Greenwood Road). Murphy Street becomes Stoner Avenue east of Greenwood Road. Photo taken 10/18/03.
Interstate 49 draws to a close at the Murphy Street traffic light. Traffic to Interstate 20 westbound can utilize the southbound on-ramp to Interstate 49. Photo taken 10/18/03.

Sources:
1 - Dale, Sanderson. End of US highway 371 [II].<

Page Updated February 27, 2004.