Louisiana Highway 34 (LA 34) is a
state highway located in central and northern
Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
. It runs in a southwest to northeast direction from the junction of
U.S. Highway 71
U.S. Route 71 or U.S. Highway 71 (US 71) is a major north–south United States highway that extends for over 1500 miles (2500 km) in the central United States. This original 1926 route has remained largely unchanged by encroaching Interstat ...
(US 71) and
LA 1239-2 in
Montgomery to a junction with the concurrent
US 80/
LA 15 in
West Monroe.
The route connects
Monroe, the principal city of northeastern Louisiana and the
seat of
Ouachita Parish
Ouachita Parish (French: ''Paroisse d'Ouachita'') is located in the northern part of the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 160,368. The parish seat is Monroe. The parish was formed in 1807.
Ouachita Parish i ...
, with
Winnfield
Winnfield is a small city in, and the parish seat of, Winn Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 5,749 at the 2000 census, and 4,840 in 2010. Three governors of the state of Louisiana were from Winnfield. , a smaller city that serves as the seat of
Winn Parish
Winn Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2010 census, the population was 15,313. Its seat is Winnfield. The parish was founded in 1852. It is last in alphabetical order of Louisiana's sixty-four parishe ...
. Winnfield is located at the junction of
US 84 and
US 167, which run concurrent with LA 34 through the center of town. Near its northeastern terminus in West Monroe, LA 34 has an interchange with
Interstate 20 (I-20).
Outside Winnfield and the
Monroe metropolitan area, LA 34 is an entirely rural highway that passes through the occasional small community. These include the
Jackson Parish
Jackson Parish (French: ''Paroisse de Jackson'') is a parish in the northern part of the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 15,031. The parish seat is Jonesboro. The parish was formed in 1845 from parts of Clai ...
towns of
Chatham
Chatham may refer to:
Places and jurisdictions Canada
* Chatham Islands (British Columbia)
* Chatham Sound, British Columbia
* Chatham, New Brunswick, a former town, now a neighbourhood of Miramichi
* Chatham (electoral district), New Brunswic ...
and
Eros
In Greek mythology, Eros (, ; grc, Ἔρως, Érōs, Love, Desire) is the Greek god of love and sex. His Roman counterpart was Cupid ("desire").''Larousse Desk Reference Encyclopedia'', The Book People, Haydock, 1995, p. 215. In the ear ...
, as well as the Winn Parish village of
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
.
LA 34 was created from portions of nine different former routes designated at various times during the 1920s and 1930s. The
Louisiana Department of Highways
The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) is a state government organization in the United States, in charge of maintaining public transportation, roadways, bridges, canals, select levees, floodplain management, port facili ...
combined them under a single designation in the
1955 renumbering of the state's highway system.
Route description
Montgomery to Winnfield
From the south, LA 34 begins at a junction with
US 71 in the town of
Montgomery. This junction also marks the northern terminus of
LA 1239-2 (Caddo Street), a state-maintained local road. LA 34 heads northward from town as an undivided two-lane highway and crosses from
Grant Parish into
Winn Parish
Winn Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2010 census, the population was 15,313. Its seat is Winnfield. The parish was founded in 1852. It is last in alphabetical order of Louisiana's sixty-four parishe ...
. The highway curves to the northeast and, over the next , passes through the tiny rural communities of
Mt. Zion,
Wheeling,
Sardis
Sardis () or Sardes (; Lydian: 𐤳𐤱𐤠𐤭𐤣 ''Sfard''; el, Σάρδεις ''Sardeis''; peo, Sparda; hbo, ספרד ''Sfarad'') was an ancient city at the location of modern ''Sart'' (Sartmahmut before 19 October 2005), near Salihli, ...
, as well as the village of
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
. In Atlanta, a junction with
LA 471 connects with
Verda back in Grant Parish.
northeast of Sardis, LA 34 enters the city of
Winnfield
Winnfield is a small city in, and the parish seat of, Winn Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 5,749 at the 2000 census, and 4,840 in 2010. Three governors of the state of Louisiana were from Winnfield. , the
seat of Winn Parish. The highway travels along South Jones Street across the
Kansas City Southern Railway
The Kansas City Southern Railway Company is an American Class I railroad. Founded in 1887, it operates in 10 midwestern and southeastern U.S. states: Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and ...
(KCS) line to a junction with the concurrent
US 84/
US 167 at West Court Street. LA 34 turns east to follow US 84/US 167, becoming an undivided four-lane highway with a center turning lane. The route overpasses the KCS tracks and transitions onto East Lafayette Street. On the east side of town, US 167 curves south toward
Alexandria
Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandri ...
while US 84 and LA 34 turn north at a T-intersection onto East Boundary Street, narrowing again to two lanes. After a short distance, the route turns northeast at a Y-intersection with Maple Street and exits the Winnfield corporate limits.
Winnfield to Eros
After crossing the
Dugdemona River northeast of Winnfield, US 84 branches off of LA 34 in
Joyce and heads toward
Tullos
Tullos is an area of Aberdeen, Scotland. The area takes its name from the Vale of Tullos, which lies between Tullos Hill and Torry Hill. Tullos derived its name from a corruption of the Gaelic ‘Tulach’ meaning a hill.
In this extract from ...
. LA 34 curves due north and intersects
LA 126 about midway between points known as
Hudson
Hudson may refer to:
People
* Hudson (given name)
* Hudson (surname)
* Henry Hudson, English explorer
* Hudson (footballer, born 1986), Hudson Fernando Tobias de Carvalho, Brazilian football right-back
* Hudson (footballer, born 1988), Hudso ...
and
Gaars Mill. LA 126 connects with
Dodson to the west and
Sikes to the east. North of this junction, LA 34 curves its way through the thick piney woods before crossing from Winn Parish into
Jackson Parish
Jackson Parish (French: ''Paroisse de Jackson'') is a parish in the northern part of the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 15,031. The parish seat is Jonesboro. The parish was formed in 1845 from parts of Clai ...
.
Immediately across the parish line, LA 34 intersects
LA 147 (Walker Road), which branches northwest toward the town of
Jonesboro. The alignment of LA 34 straightens out for about as the highway passes along the east side of the
Caney Creek Reservoir and
Jimmie Davis State Park. North of
Womack, however, LA 34 begins to follow the natural contours of the terrain once again. In the tiny town of
Chatham
Chatham may refer to:
Places and jurisdictions Canada
* Chatham Islands (British Columbia)
* Chatham Sound, British Columbia
* Chatham, New Brunswick, a former town, now a neighbourhood of Miramichi
* Chatham (electoral district), New Brunswic ...
, LA 34 intersects
LA 4, a rural cross-state route. In the even smaller incorporated town of
Eros
In Greek mythology, Eros (, ; grc, Ἔρως, Érōs, Love, Desire) is the Greek god of love and sex. His Roman counterpart was Cupid ("desire").''Larousse Desk Reference Encyclopedia'', The Book People, Haydock, 1995, p. 215. In the ear ...
, LA 34 has a brief concurrency with
LA 148 and also intersects
LA 144, which heads north toward
Calhoun
John C. Calhoun (1782–1850) was the 7th vice president of the United States.
Calhoun can also refer to:
Surname
* Calhoun (surname)
Inhabited places in the United States
*Calhoun, Georgia
*Calhoun, Illinois
* Calhoun, Kansas
* Calhoun, Kentuc ...
and
Choudrant.
Eros to West Monroe
Immediately northeast of Eros, LA 34 crosses into
Ouachita Parish
Ouachita Parish (French: ''Paroisse d'Ouachita'') is located in the northern part of the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 160,368. The parish seat is Monroe. The parish was formed in 1807.
Ouachita Parish i ...
. Passing through
Guyton,
LA 546 begins and branches northeast toward
I-20 at
Cheniere. LA 34 curves due east for to a junction with
LA 557. The highway then turns northeast and proceeds into the suburban
Brownsville–
Bawcomville area. Here, the roadway widens again to four lanes with a center turning lane.
LA 617 begins and proceeds straight ahead onto Thomas Road while LA 34 turns east onto Jonesboro Road, remaining in its same capacity.
The highway enters the city of
West Monroe and crosses the KCS railroad tracks a final time before engaging in a modified
cloverleaf interchange with I-20 at exit 115. The interstate heads east across the
Ouachita River
The Ouachita River ( ) is a river that runs south and east through the U.S. states of Arkansas and Louisiana, joining the Tensas River to form the Black River near Jonesville, Louisiana. It is the 25th-longest river in the United State ...
into
Monroe and west toward
Shreveport. While passing through the interchange, LA 34 transitions onto the
one-way couplet
A one-way pair, one-way couple, or couplet refers to that portion of a bi-directional traffic facilitysuch as a road, bus, streetcar, or light rail linewhere its opposing flows exist as two independent and roughly parallel facilities.
Descripti ...
of Mill Street (eastbound) and Stella Street (westbound). It then immediately intersects
LA 143 (North 7th Street). Four blocks later, the travel lanes of LA 34 converge onto Bridge Street. The route then terminates at a junction with the concurrent
US 80/
LA 15, which turns from Cypress Street onto Bridge Street to continue ahead across the Ouachita River and into Monroe.
Route classification and data
LA 34 is generally classified as a rural major collector by the
Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (La DOTD). However, the route serves as an urban minor arterial in Winnfield and the Brownsville-Bawcomville area and as an urban principal arterial in West Monroe. Daily traffic volume in 2013 peaked at 28,300 vehicles in West Monroe. Outside the
Monroe metropolitan area, traffic counts generally stayed between 1,300 and 3,500 vehicles with a low of 410 reported near the southern terminus in Montgomery.
The posted speed limit ranges from in rural areas to as low as or in populated areas.
History
In the
original Louisiana Highway system in use between 1921 and 1955, the modern LA 34 was split amongst several different routes, including
State Route C-1479 from Montgomery to Atlanta;
State Route 5 to Winnfield;
State Route 6 through the center of Winnfield;
State Route 234 to the Jackson Parish line;
State Route 1305 to Womack;
State Route 164 to Chatham;
State Route 13 to Guyton;
State Route 1295 to south of Bawcomville; and
State Route 200 to West Monroe.
The above highways were joined together under the single designation of LA 34 when the
Louisiana Department of Highways
The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) is a state government organization in the United States, in charge of maintaining public transportation, roadways, bridges, canals, select levees, floodplain management, port facili ...
renumbered the state highway system in 1955.
Motorists could now travel the most direct route between Winnfield and Monroe by following one highway number.
With the 1955 renumbering, the state highway department initially categorized all routes into three classes: "A" (primary), "B" (secondary), and "C" (farm-to-market).
This system has since been updated and replaced by a more specific
functional classification
The functional classification of a road is the class or group of roads to which the road belongs. There are three main functional classes as defined by the United States Federal Highway Administration
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) ...
system.
LA 34 has seen only minor changes over the years that have mostly resulted from the straightening of curves and the replacement of bridges on the route. The highway was slightly re-routed in West Monroe when I-20 was constructed through town in 1964.
The original route followed Natchitoches Street rather than the one-way couplet of Stella and Mill Streets.
In the 1970s, LA 34 was shifted onto a newly constructed parallel alignment south of Bawcomville, eliminating two railroad crossings. Part of the original route survives as Kings Lake Road.
Further west near Guyton, a curved section of road now known as Jimmy Graham Loop was also bypassed.
In Winn Parish, a number of curves were smoothed out near Sardis, south of Winnfield.
More recently, the junction of LA 34 and LA 617 was moved north two blocks to accommodate an industrial facility.
The junction was formerly a four-way intersection aligned with
LA 840-1 (Smith Street). In 2006, the highway was streamlined through Winnfield when a new overpass was constructed across the Kansas City Southern Railway line.
The project also involved changing the original zigzag from Court Street onto Lafayette Street into a smooth transition and widening the connecting roadways. Finally, a curve was eliminated north of Hudson in Winn Parish around 2009 as part of a resurfacing project.
Major intersections
See also
*
*
References
External links
{{Attached KML, display=inline,title
Maps / GIS Data Homepage Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development
0034
Transportation in Grant Parish, Louisiana
Transportation in Winn Parish, Louisiana
Transportation in Jackson Parish, Louisiana
Transportation in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana