Louisiana Highway 33

Louisiana Highway 33 (LA 33) is a state highway located in northern Louisiana. It runs 44.03 miles (70.86 km) in a southwest to northeast direction from U.S. Highway 80 (US 80) in Ruston to the Arkansas state line north of Marion.

Louisiana Highway 33 marker

Louisiana Highway 33

Route of LA 33 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by Louisiana DOTD
Length44.029 mi[1] (70.858 km)
Existed1955 renumbering–present
Major junctions
South end US 80 in Ruston
Major intersections
North end AR 129 at Arkansas state line north of Marion
Location
CountryUnited States
StateLouisiana
ParishesLincoln, Union
Highway system
  • Louisiana State Highway System
← LA 32→ LA 34

The route begins east of Ruston's downtown area and provides access to one of the city's three interchanges with Interstate 20 (I-20). Midway along its route, LA 33 joins LA 15 across Lake D'Arbonne, a popular recreational spot, and through the adjacent town of Farmerville. North of Marion, the roadway continues as Arkansas Highway 129 toward Huttig, Arkansas.

LA 33 was designated in the 1955 Louisiana Highway renumbering, replacing portions of three routes: State Route 44, State Route 11, and State Route 156. This created a single highway designation connecting the seats of Lincoln and Union parishes to each other and with the Arkansas state line.

Route description

Ruston to Farmerville

From the south, LA 33 begins at a junction with US 80 (East Georgia Avenue) in Ruston, a city in Lincoln Parish. It heads northeast on Farmerville Highway, an undivided four-lane thoroughfare, and passes through a diamond interchange with I-20 at exit 86. I-20 parallels US 80 throughout the state and connects with the metropolitan areas of Shreveport to the west and Monroe to the east. Gaining a center turning lane, LA 33 proceeds through a growing commercial corridor that extends out of the Ruston city limits.[2][3][4]

The surroundings become largely rural near an intersection with LA 821, and LA 33 narrows to an undivided two-lane highway. Shortly afterward is an intersection with LA 3072, a short connector to the nearby town of Vienna. LA 33 curves slightly more to the east and overlaps LA 822 through an area known as Cedarton. About midway along this concurrency is a junction with LA 820, connecting with Choudrant to the south.[2][3][4]

LA 33 crosses into Union Parish and immediately intersects LA 151 in the community of D'Arbonne, providing connections to Downsville and Dubach. About five miles (8.0 km) later, LA 33 begins a concurrency with LA 15, and the two routes proceed across Lake D'Arbonne along a narrow embankment. Approaching the opposite shore, the roadway transitions onto the James Peyton Smith Bridge, a low beam bridge that spans an open stretch of the lake.[2][4][5]

Farmerville to Arkansas line

Once on shore, LA 15 and LA 33 enter the town of Farmerville, which is also the parish seat. The highway travels along Main Street and curves due north through the center of town. An intersection with LA 3281 (Park Street), provides access to the nearby Louisiana National Guard Armory. Two blocks later at Water Street, LA 2 turns north to join LA 15 and LA 33 through the business section. LA 33 departs from the concurrency by turning east onto Miller Street. It then curves northeast onto Marion Highway past Farmerville Stadium and out of the town.[2][4][5]

LA 33 continues northeast for about 11 miles (18 km) through sparsely populated pine forests before reaching the town of Marion. Here, the highway turns east onto Main Street through the town center then north onto Taylor Street at an intersection with LA 143. LA 33 continues north through rural Union Parish for another 7.5 miles (12.1 km) before reaching the Arkansas state line just north of Sadie. The road continues toward Huttig as Arkansas Highway 129 (AR 129).[2][4][6]

Route classification and data

LA 33 is generally classified by the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (La DOTD) as an urban principal arterial in Ruston and as a rural major collector northward.[7] Daily traffic volume in 2013 peaked at 18,600 vehicles in Ruston and 11,600 in Farmerville, tapering down to 1,010 near the Arkansas state line.[7] The posted speed limit is 55 mph (90 km/h) for most of the route but is reduced to 35 mph (55 km/h) in Ruston and 25 mph (40 km/h) in both Farmerville and Marion.[2]

History

In the original Louisiana Highway system in use between 1921 and 1955, LA 33 was part of four different routes: State Route 44 from Ruston to Farmerville; State Route 15 through Farmerville; State Route 11 from Farmerville to Marion; and State Route 156 from Marion to the Arkansas state line.[8][9] These highways were joined together under the single designation of LA 33 when the Louisiana Department of Highways renumbered the state highway system in 1955.[10] LA 15 remained on the Farmerville segment co-signed with the new LA 33 as it was one of the few pre-1955 routes to retain its identity after the 1955 renumbering.

La 33—From a junction with La-US 80 at or near Ruston to a junction with La 15 at or near Farmerville and from a junction with La 2 at or near Farmerville through or near Marion to the Arkansas State Line.

— 1955 legislative route description[10]

Since the 1955 renumbering, LA 33 has changed very little. Its only realignment occurred in the early 1960s in connection with the Bayou D'Arbonne crossing. In November 1963, the bayou and two other small waterways near Farmerville were impounded to create Bayou D'Arbonne Lake, more commonly known as Lake D'Arbonne.[11] That year, an embankment and bridge were constructed on the concurrent LA 15/LA 33 to cross the new man-made lake.[12] In May 2013, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal signed a bill into law renaming the bridge in honor of James Peyton Smith, the state representative from Union and Morehouse parishes from 1964 to 1972.[13][14] Though the old bayou bridge was demolished, much of the original roadway still exists to the north of the current alignment and is now used as a boat launch.[2] LA 15 was also realigned near its junction with LA 33, which was moved 0.3 miles (0.48 km) to the southwest.[5][15] The original roadbed of LA 15 here is now partially submerged in the lake waters.[2]

Another improvement affecting LA 33 was the opening of the interchange with I-20 in April 1960. This portion of I-20, extending 7.8 miles (12.6 km) from Ruston to Choudrant, was the first rural segment of interstate highway to be completed in Louisiana.[16][17] LA 33 was subsequently widened southward from the interchange to handle the increased traffic, which included the replacement of the original two-lane overpass across I-20 with the current five-lane span in 1991.[18] The highway was widened northward from I-20 through the remainder of its distance in Ruston more recently, around 2010.

Major intersections
ParishLocationmi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
LincolnRuston0.0000.000 US 80 (East Georgia Avenue)Southern terminus
0.572–
0.738		0.921–
1.188		 I-20 – Monroe, ShreveportExit 86 on I-20
​3.3335.364
 LA 821 east		Western terminus of LA 821
​4.8577.817
 LA 3072 west – Vienna, Homer		Eastern terminus of LA 3072
​7.45011.990
 LA 822 west – Mineral Springs, Dubach		South end of LA 822 concurrency
Cedarton9.59715.445
 LA 820 south – Douglas, Choudrant		Northern terminus of LA 820
​10.31416.599
 LA 822 east		North end of LA 822 concurrency
UnionD'Arbonne14.00322.536 LA 151 – Downsville, Dubach
Farmerville19.392–
19.438		31.208–
31.282
 LA 15 south – West Monroe, Monroe		South end of LA 15 concurrency
20.638–
20.824		33.214–
33.513		James Peyton Smith Bridge over Bayou D'Arbonne Lake (or Lake D'Arbonne)
21.95335.330 LA 3281 (Park Street)Eastern terminus of LA 3281; to Louisiana National Guard Armory
22.05935.501
 LA 2 east (East Water Street) – Sterlington, Bastrop		South end of LA 2 concurrency
22.65936.466

 LA 2 west / LA 15 north (North Main Street) – Bernice, Spearsville		North end of LA 2 and LA 15 concurrencies; to Lake D'Arbonne State Park
​32.92352.984 LA 348Eastern terminus of LA 348
Marion35.84357.684 LA 551 (M.L.K. Jr. Drive)Southern terminus of LA 551
36.36158.517
 LA 143 south (Main Street) – Sterlington		Northern terminus of LA 143
Sadie42.48868.378
 LA 826 east – Litroe		Western terminus of LA 826
​44.02970.858
 AR 129 north – Huttig		Northern terminus; continuation in Arkansas
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

References
  1. "La DOTD GIS Data". Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. September 2015. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
  2. Google (June 28, 2016). "Overview Map of LA 33" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
  3. Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, Office of Multimodal Planning (February 2012). Lincoln Parish (PDF) (Map). Scale not given. Baton Rouge: Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
  4. Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, Office of Multimodal Planning (February 2012). District 05: Official Control Section Map, Construction and Maintenance (PDF) (Map). Scale not given. Baton Rouge: Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
  5. Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, Office of Multimodal Planning (February 2012). Union Parish (West Section) (PDF) (Map). Scale not given. Baton Rouge: Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
  6. Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, Office of Multimodal Planning (February 2012). Union Parish (East Section) (PDF) (Map). Scale not given. Baton Rouge: Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
  7. "La DOTD GIS". Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. 2013. Archived from the original on October 16, 2013. Retrieved August 30, 2013.
  8. Louisiana Department of Highways, Traffic and Planning Section (1948). Lincoln Parish (Map) (January 1, 1955 ed.). Scale not given. Baton Rouge: Louisiana Department of Highways.
  9. Louisiana Department of Highways, Traffic and Planning Section (1948). Union Parish (Map) (January 1, 1955 ed.). Scale not given. Baton Rouge: Louisiana Department of Highways.
  10. "Act No. 40, House Bill No. 311". State-Times. Baton Rouge. June 18, 1955. p. 3B.
  11. "Bayou D'Arbonne Lake: Lake History & Management Issues" (PDF). Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. January 2015. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
  12. "National Bridge Inventory Data: LA0033 Over Bayou Darbonne". Ugly Bridges. 2014. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
  13. "Bills Signed Into Law May 30 by the Governor from House and Senate". Amite-Tangi Digest. May 30, 2003.
  14. "Greg Hilburn, State Honors the Late Rep. Smith With Bridge Renaming, September 12, 2013". Monroe News-Star. Archived from the original on May 14, 2014. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
  15. Louisiana Department of Highways, Traffic and Planning Section (1956). Union Parish (Map) (January 1, 1958 ed.). Scale not given. Baton Rouge: Louisiana Department of Highways.
  16. Wagner, Robert (April 24, 1960). "Highway Unit is Dedicated". The Times-Picayune. New Orleans. p. 28.
  17. Louisiana Department of Highways (December 1960). Louisiana (Map). Scale not given. Baton Rouge: Louisiana Department of Highways.
  18. "National Bridge Inventory Data: LA0033 Over I-20". Ugly Bridges. 2014. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
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