Vieux Carré Riverfront Expressway
Encyclopedia
The Vieux Carré Riverfront Expressway was a controversial mostly-elevated never-built freeway that would have cut through the French Quarter
(Vieux Carré) of New Orleans, Louisiana
, United States
. From 1964 to 1969, it was also designated Interstate 310.
- Louisiana Highway 3021) and run south along Elysian Fields Avenue to the Mississippi River
. There it would turn southwest and run to a point near Lafayette Street, where ramps would connect to the Greater New Orleans Bridge (U.S. Highway 90 Business). An extension, never part of the Interstate Highway System
, was to continue west to meet the Earhart Expressway
(Louisiana Highway 3139).
A small piece of the freeway was built as a six-lane tunnel
, 690 feet (210 m) long by 98 feet (30 m) wide, under the Rivergate Convention Center, now Harrah's New Orleans Casino. It is presently used for valet parking
.
in 1946 as part of a larger plan for New Orleans. It was not added to the Interstate Highway System
as an urban route in the 1950s, but by 1961 it was being considered for addition. One proposal to gain the mileage was to shift Interstate 10 to the Riverfront route, but eventually, in 1964, the Interstate 420 bypass of Monroe was removed from the Interstate System. It was officially added on October 13, 1964, as Interstate 310.
After large amounts of local opposition, the freeway was removed from the Interstate System on August 22, 1969. Its mileage was used in part for a new southern bypass of New Orleans - Interstate 410 - which was itself never completed.
French Quarter
The French Quarter, also known as Vieux Carré, is the oldest neighborhood in the city of New Orleans. When New Orleans was founded in 1718 by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, the city was originally centered on the French Quarter, or the Vieux Carré as it was known then...
(Vieux Carré) of New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. From 1964 to 1969, it was also designated Interstate 310.
Route description
The freeway would have split from Interstate 10 at exit 237 (Elysian Fields AvenueElysian Fields Avenue
Elysian Fields Avenue is a broad, straight avenue in New Orleans named after the Avenue des Champs-Élysées in Paris. It courses south to north from the Lower Mississippi River to Lake Pontchartrain, a distance of approximately . The avenue intersects with Interstate 610, Interstate 10, and U.S....
- Louisiana Highway 3021) and run south along Elysian Fields Avenue to the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
. There it would turn southwest and run to a point near Lafayette Street, where ramps would connect to the Greater New Orleans Bridge (U.S. Highway 90 Business). An extension, never part of the Interstate Highway System
Interstate Highway System
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, , is a network of limited-access roads including freeways, highways, and expressways forming part of the National Highway System of the United States of America...
, was to continue west to meet the Earhart Expressway
Earhart Expressway
The Earhart Expressway, named for Frederick Earhart, is a state highway located in both Jefferson Parish and Orleans Parish, Louisiana. It is also designated as Louisiana Highway 3139 or LA 3139...
(Louisiana Highway 3139).
A small piece of the freeway was built as a six-lane tunnel
Tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
, 690 feet (210 m) long by 98 feet (30 m) wide, under the Rivergate Convention Center, now Harrah's New Orleans Casino. It is presently used for valet parking
Valet parking
Valet parking is a parking service offered by some restaurants, stores, and other businesses, particularly in North America. In contrast to "self-parking", where customers find a parking space on their own, customers' vehicles are parked for them by a person called a valet...
.
History
The freeway was first proposed by Robert MosesRobert Moses
Robert Moses was the "master builder" of mid-20th century New York City, Long Island, Rockland County, and Westchester County, New York. As the shaper of a modern city, he is sometimes compared to Baron Haussmann of Second Empire Paris, and is one of the most polarizing figures in the history of...
in 1946 as part of a larger plan for New Orleans. It was not added to the Interstate Highway System
Interstate Highway System
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, , is a network of limited-access roads including freeways, highways, and expressways forming part of the National Highway System of the United States of America...
as an urban route in the 1950s, but by 1961 it was being considered for addition. One proposal to gain the mileage was to shift Interstate 10 to the Riverfront route, but eventually, in 1964, the Interstate 420 bypass of Monroe was removed from the Interstate System. It was officially added on October 13, 1964, as Interstate 310.
After large amounts of local opposition, the freeway was removed from the Interstate System on August 22, 1969. Its mileage was used in part for a new southern bypass of New Orleans - Interstate 410 - which was itself never completed.