Louisiana Highway 16

Infobox LA Highway
type=LA
route=16
length_mi=110.72
length_round=2
formed=1955 renumbering
dir1=East
from=
junction=
dir2=West
to=
previous_type=LA
previous_route=15
next_type=LA
next_route=17

Louisiana Highway 16 (LA 16) is a state highway in Louisiana. It runs from east to west for 110.72 miles.

Route description

From the east, LA 16 begins in Sun at a junction with LA 21 and heads west northwest into Washington Parish. At an intersection with LA 60, LA 16 turns north-northwest towards Franklinton, where the highway merges with LA 10 and LA 25. All three highways split from each other outside of the city limits, and LA 16 turns westward. In Tangipahoa Parish, LA 16 intersects U.S. Highway 51 in Amite and Interstate 55 just west of the city. LA 43 shortly merges with LA 16 and then splits with LA 16 in Montpelier. From Montpelier, LA 16 shortly merges with LA 63 and then splits from the highway after approximately 9.5 miles. LA 16 then heads due south (despite the even number, generally signifying an east-west state highway in Louisiana), running through Denham Springs and then turning southeastward without intersecting Interstate 12 (a lower-level state highway, LA 3002, also known as South Range Avenue, does intersect I-12 within a mile or the LA 16 overpass, but no signage on I-12, westbound or eastbound, explains how to get from I-12 to LA 16). After crossing I-12, LA 16 merges with LA 42 in Port Vincent and then splits with the highway east of the city. LA 16 continues through French Settlement before ending at a junction with LA 22.

Currently (2008), approximately a 3 - 4 mile stretch of Hwy. 16 in the Watson (Denham Springs), Louisiana area is being widened to a 4-Lane Highway, thus expanding the current 2-Lane Highway. This is in response to the large amount of daily vehicle traffic the area has experienced in the past decade (Watson was at one time in early 2000, the largest growing area in the state of Louisiana).

References

* [http://www.dotd.louisiana.gov/planning/maps_classification/Statewide_FunClass2002.pdf/ LADOTD Map of Numbered Highways]
* [http://www.southeastroads.com/la_state_highways.html/ Louisiana State Highway Log]
* [http://earth.google.com/ Google Earth]