Interstate 49 Connector: Urban and Sustainable Design

Abstract

The Interstate 49 Connector project is an approximate 5.5-mile segment of limited access, highway development plan needed for continuous access between an interstate route and a Federal- Aid highway system. The project is part of a proposed North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) highway that will connect Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada to New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. At present, I-49 transitions into a four-lane highway with little control access. Connecting Interstate 10 and Highway 90 into a continuous arterial will link two economically beneficial interstate routes, and concurrently provide citizens of southern Louisiana with a safe, emergency evacuation route. In 2014, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Community Design Workshop (CDW) was contracted to work with the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LaDOTD)/Lafayette Connector Partners (LCP) Team to address the proposed I-49 Connector project in Lafayette, Louisiana. Acting as a think tank to the consultant planning firms, the CDW provided support at community group-work meetings, public meetings and used the studio for uncovering and exploring issues of Urban Design and Sustainable Design. During the past four years, the CDW has run eight graduate studios to study two primary areas designated as the Northern Entry Gateway into the city and the Core Area around the downtown and traditional neighborhoods. Each area, taken from an urban, contextual perspective and environmental perspective, has its own unique character and physical makeup.