Louisiana Highway 39

Louisiana Highway 39 is a state highway in southeastern Louisiana connecting the southwestern suburbs of New Orleans with outlying communities along the east bank of the Mississippi River and through low-lying coastal parishes. The route serves a mix of residential neighborhoods, industrial corridors, and rural landscapes, providing links to major facilities, river crossings, and federal routes that support commerce, commuting, and hurricane evacuation. It traverses jurisdictions including Jefferson Parish, Orleans Parish, St. Bernard Parish, and sections approaching Gonzales in Ascension Parish.

Route description

The highway begins near Gretna on the west bank side of the Mississippi River corridor, tying into local arterials that feed the Huey P. Long Bridge and the Crescent City Connection. From its southern terminus it proceeds northeastward parallel to the river through suburban and industrial zones, intersecting connectors serving Port of New Orleans facilities, Louis Armstrong International Airport access roads, and rail lines operated by Union Pacific Railroad and Norfolk Southern Railway. Entering Orleans Parish, the route passes near neighborhoods affected by Hurricane Katrina and recovery projects overseen by agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the United States Army Corps of Engineers. Continuing into St. Bernard Parish, the highway aligns close to bayous and wetlands managed by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and provides access to fishing communities, of which Chalmette is a notable example. Northbound, it transitions from two-lane sections to divided segments as it approaches suburban growth near Gonzales, intersecting state and federal routes including connectors to Interstate 10 and U.S. Route 61. The alignment crosses multiple bayous and levee systems constructed under projects involving the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority and federal flood-control initiatives.

History

The roadway originated from 19th- and early 20th-century riverfront and plantation roads that linked river towns and steamboat landings associated with Mississippi River Delta commerce and the Antebellum era. Later formalized into the state network amid the expansion of highways in the New Deal and postwar infrastructure programs promoted by administrations such as those of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman, the corridor was incorporated into Louisiana’s numbering system during statewide renumbering efforts. During the mid-20th century the route was adapted to accommodate truck traffic serving petrochemical complexes near the Industrial Canal and river ports, intersecting corridors tied to the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. The highway and surrounding communities sustained significant damage during Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Ida, prompting reconstruction funded through programs involving the Federal Highway Administration and state transportation agencies. Subsequent upgrades have included elevation adjustments, drainage improvements coordinated with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and safety enhancements aligned with standards from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.

Major intersections

The route connects with a sequence of major arterial and highway facilities serving the New Orleans metropolitan area: - Southern terminus interchanges and approaches near Gretna providing access to the Crescent City Connection and parallel local routes. - Junctions with state routes that feed the Port of New Orleans terminals and Almonaster industrial zones. - Connections to Interstate 10 east–west corridor serving Baton Rouge and Mobile. - Intersections with U.S. Route 61 and feeder roads toward Donaldsonville and St. Francisville. - Crossings adjacent to levees and bayou bridges linking to community arterials in St. Bernard Parish and access to Chalmette’s business districts. These intersections integrate with corridors used by freight providers such as CSX Transportation and regional transit services coordinated by Jefferson Parish Transit and the Regional Transit Authority of New Orleans.

Future and planned developments

Planned work on the corridor is influenced by coastal restoration priorities championed by the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority and funding from federal frameworks like the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Projects under consideration include targeted elevation and resilience improvements to address storm surge linked to Gulf of Mexico hurricanes, modal connections to inland distribution centers serving the Port of South Louisiana, and safety upgrades reflecting guidelines from the Federal Highway Administration and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Local planning bodies including parish governments in Jefferson Parish and Ascension Parish have proposed multimodal enhancements to accommodate commuter demand between New Orleans and the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Route designation and classification

The highway is designated as a state route under the jurisdiction of the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development and classified in sections as minor arterial, principal arterial, and collector depending on traffic volumes measured by state traffic surveys and standards from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Portions adjacent to port facilities and industrial parks carry higher functional classifications to reflect freight movement associated with the Port of New Orleans and the Port of South Louisiana, while segments through residential communities are classified to prioritize safe local access and evacuation routing during events coordinated with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Category:State highways in Louisiana