Louisiana Highway 975
Encyclopedia
Louisiana Highway 975 is a gravel state highway
in central Louisiana
. It runs north–south for 18.43 miles (29.7 km). The southern terminus is at Whiskey Bay in Iberville Parish
and the northern terminus is east of Krotz Springs
at a junction with U.S. Route 190
(US 190) and the north, south LA 973, in Point Coupee, Parish. The entire route traverses the Sherburne Complex WMA
, which is a combined Sherburne WMA, Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge
, and Bayou Des Ourse, managed by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
. The road runs between the Atchafalaya River
and Whiskey Bay Pilot Channel on the west and the East Protection Levee on the east.
(I-10) a few miles and makes a loop. The access road from I-10, exit 127 south, has been barricaded and thus the only direction of travel is north. The route is a poorly maintained gravel road that, as most roads of this type, is very dusty during the dry season. Starting in Iberia Parish, LA 975 crosses into St. Martin Parish
, then Pointe Coupee Parish
before intersecting with US 190. The road travels north through the swampy bottomland of the Atchafalaya Basin
, that is part of the Morganza Flood way system, and prone to severe flooding with high water. LA 975 passes Bobtail Bayou, intersects with Bayou Manuel Road, which is at the split of the Atchafalaya River and the beginning of the Whiskey Bay Pilot Channel, then passes the base of Big Alabama Bayou, intersecting with River Road. Continuing north, LA 975 begins to run between the Atchafalaya River, Little Alabama Bayou, and intersects with Happytown Road. At this point Coswell Bayou begins to run in between LA 975 and the Little Alabama Bayou to a point just north of the Point Coupee Parish line. LA 975 intersects Main Road before continuing to the northern terminus at US 190 and LA 973.
. The Sherburne WMA headquarters is located on the old town site alongside the highway. The primary function of the road now is north and south access to the wildlife management
areas the road services as well as an access road to oil and gas wells.
State highway
State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...
in central Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. It runs north–south for 18.43 miles (29.7 km). The southern terminus is at Whiskey Bay in Iberville Parish
Iberville Parish, Louisiana
Iberville Parish is a parish located south of Baton Rouge in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Its seat is Plaquemine. The 2010 population of the parish was 33,387....
and the northern terminus is east of Krotz Springs
Krotz Springs, Louisiana
Krotz Springs is a town in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana on the Atchafalaya River. The population was 1,219 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Opelousas–Eunice Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
at a junction with U.S. Route 190
U.S. Route 190
U.S. Route 190, also known as the Ronald Reagan Memorial Highway, is an east–west United States highway in Louisiana and Texas. It evolved from the shortest of intrastate routes in 1926 to a length comparable to a main Interstate Highway route, leading from the swamps and pine forests of...
(US 190) and the north, south LA 973, in Point Coupee, Parish. The entire route traverses the Sherburne Complex WMA
Sherburne Complex Wildlife Management Area (Louisiana)
The Sherburne Complex is a joint land management venture of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries , and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that began in 1983. The area consists of , and is managed by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries...
, which is a combined Sherburne WMA, Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge
Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge
The Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge is located about west of Baton Rouge, Louisiana and one mile east of Krotz Springs, Louisiana lies just east of the Atchafalaya River...
, and Bayou Des Ourse, managed by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is a state agency of Louisiana that maintains state parks and wildlife and fishery areas. The agency has its headquarters in Baton Rouge.-External links:*...
. The road runs between the Atchafalaya River
Atchafalaya River
The Atchafalaya River is a distributary of the Mississippi River and Red River in south central Louisiana in the United States. It flows south, just west of the Mississippi River....
and Whiskey Bay Pilot Channel on the west and the East Protection Levee on the east.
Route description
The short route actually runs south of Interstate 10Interstate 10 in Louisiana
Interstate 10, a major transcontinental Interstate Highway in the Southern U.S., runs across the southern part of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It passes through Lake Charles, Lafayette and Baton Rouge before dipping south of Lake Pontchartrain to serve the New Orleans area and then passing through...
(I-10) a few miles and makes a loop. The access road from I-10, exit 127 south, has been barricaded and thus the only direction of travel is north. The route is a poorly maintained gravel road that, as most roads of this type, is very dusty during the dry season. Starting in Iberia Parish, LA 975 crosses into St. Martin Parish
St. Martin Parish, Louisiana
St. Martin Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is St. Martinville. As of the 2000 census, the population was 48,583.St...
, then Pointe Coupee Parish
Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana
Pointe Coupee Parish, pronounced "Pwent Koo-Pay" and , is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is New Roads. As of 2000, the population was 22,763....
before intersecting with US 190. The road travels north through the swampy bottomland of the Atchafalaya Basin
Atchafalaya Basin
The Atchafalaya Basin, or Atchafalaya Swamp, is the largest swamp in the United States. Located in south central Louisiana, it is a combination of wetlands and river delta area where the Atchafalaya River and the Gulf of Mexico converge. The river stretches from near Simmesport in the north...
, that is part of the Morganza Flood way system, and prone to severe flooding with high water. LA 975 passes Bobtail Bayou, intersects with Bayou Manuel Road, which is at the split of the Atchafalaya River and the beginning of the Whiskey Bay Pilot Channel, then passes the base of Big Alabama Bayou, intersecting with River Road. Continuing north, LA 975 begins to run between the Atchafalaya River, Little Alabama Bayou, and intersects with Happytown Road. At this point Coswell Bayou begins to run in between LA 975 and the Little Alabama Bayou to a point just north of the Point Coupee Parish line. LA 975 intersects Main Road before continuing to the northern terminus at US 190 and LA 973.
History
The route of LA 975 began as a simple trading trail then a lumber tram road from the Town of Sherburne that sprang up around the 1880s and that disappeared when the lumber played out in the 1930s becoming a ghost townGhost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
. The Sherburne WMA headquarters is located on the old town site alongside the highway. The primary function of the road now is north and south access to the wildlife management
Wildlife management
Wildlife management attempts to balance the needs of wildlife with the needs of people using the best available science. Wildlife management can include game keeping, wildlife conservation and pest control...
areas the road services as well as an access road to oil and gas wells.