Louisiana Highway 20
{{short description|State highway in Louisiana, United States}}
{{Use American English|date=April 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox road
|state=LA
|type=LA
|route=20
|length_mi=36.6
|map=LA 20 map.svg
|established=1955 renumbering
|direction_a=West
|terminus_a={{jct|state=LA|LA|182}} in Gibson
|junction=
- {{jct|state=LA|Future|49|US|90}} in Gibson
- {{jct|state=LA|Future|49|US|90}} in Chacahoula
- {{jct|state=LA|LA|24}} in Schriever
- {{jct|state=LA|LA|1|LA|308}} in Thibodaux
- {{jct|state=LA|LA|3127}} in North Vacherie
|direction_b=East
|terminus_b={{jct|state=LA|LA|18}} in North Vacherie
|parishes=Terrebonne, Lafourche, St. James
|previous_type=I
|previous_route=20
|next_type=LA
|next_route=21
}}
Louisiana Highway 20 (LA 20) is a state highway that serves Terrebonne Parish, Lafourche Parish, and St. James Parish. It spans a total of {{convert|36.6|mi|km}}{{Bing maps |url=http://www.bing.com/maps/default.aspx?mapurl=http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Template:Attached_KML/Louisiana_Highway_20&action=raw |title=Map of LA 20 |access-date=November 5, 2012}} as a two lane, undivided road.
Route description
From the south, LA 20 begins at LA 182 in the northwest Terrebonne Parish town of Gibson. The road parallels then intersects U.S. 90 (Future I-49) at two locations (Exits 189 & 194) as it heads northeastward, where it intersects LA 24 in Schriever. LA 20 turns due north and intersects LA 1 in Thibodaux as it continues northward. The road then passes through Chackbay before it enters St. James Parish. LA 20 runs northward through South Vacherie and ends at an intersection with LA 18 in North Vacherie.
History
In 1972, LA 20 was routed off of Jackson Street in downtown Thibodaux and onto parallel Canal Boulevard, a four-lane, largely residential thoroughfare.{{cite news |title=Truck traffic route changed in Thibodaux |newspaper=Morning Advocate |location=Baton Rouge |date=December 29, 1972 |page=16A}} The extension of Canal Boulevard north of Bayou Lafourche was to be opened soon, bypassing St. Patrick Street.{{cite map |publisher=Louisiana Department of Highways|title=Lafourche Parish (North Section) |year=1953 |cartography=Department of Highways Traffic and Planning Section |edition=January 1, 1958}} The route change was opposed by Thibodaux's mayor, Warren Harang, and the Louisiana Department of Highways agreed to keep truck traffic routed via Jackson Street, which was retained as LA 20 Spur.{{cite map |publisher=Louisiana Department of Highways |title=Louisiana |year=1976 |cartography=Louisiana Department of Highways}} By the late 1990s, LA 20 was routed back onto Jackson Street, reinstating a short concurrency with LA 1 from St. Mary Street to West 1st Street and utilizing LA 308 to connect with North Canal Boulevard.{{cite map |publisher=Shearer Publishing |title=The Roads of Louisiana |year=1997 |cartography=Shearer |page=75}}{{cite map |publisher=Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development|title=Lafourche Parish (West Section) |year=1998 |cartography=Office of Planning and Programming}}
In Vacherie, LA 20 originally turned east along LA 18 and crossed the Mississippi River by ferry to Lutcher.{{cite news |title=Act No. 40, House Bill No. 311 |newspaper=State-Times |location=Baton Rouge |date=June 18, 1955 |page=3B–4B}}{{cite map |publisher=Louisiana Department of Highways |title=St. James Parish |year=1953 |cartography=Department of Highways Traffic and Planning Section |edition=January 1, 1958}} It then followed what is now LA 3274 to a terminus at US 61 (Airline Highway). The ferry service was replaced by the newly opened Gramercy Bridge (or Veterans Memorial Bridge) in May 1995,{{cite news |last1=Bell |first1=Rhonda |last2=Hyman |first2=Vicki |title=St. John, St. James link open |newspaper=The Times-Picayune |location=New Orleans |date=May 5, 1995 |page=A1}} and LA 20 was truncated to its present terminus in Vacherie two years later.{{cite map |publisher=Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development |title=St. James Parish |year=1999 |cartography=Office of Planning and Programming}}
Major intersections
{{LAinttop|length_ref=}}
{{LAint
|parish=Terrebonne
|cspan=4
|location=Gibson
|lspan=2
|mile=0.0
|road={{jct|state=LA|LA|182|name1=Bayou Black Drive}}
|notes=Western terminus
}}
{{LAint
|mile=1.2
|road={{jct|state=LA|US|90|city1=Morgan City|city2=New Orleans}}
|notes=Exit 189 on US 90
}}
{{LAint
|location=Chacahoula
|lspan=2
|mile=5.6
|road={{jct|state=LA|LA|309|dir1=north|name1=Brule Guillot Road}}
|notes=Southern terminus of LA 309
}}
{{LAint
|mile=5.9
|road={{jct|state=LA|US|90|city1=Morgan City|city2=New Orleans}}
|notes=Exit 194 on US 90
}}
{{jctco
|state=LA
|parish=Lafourche
}}
{{LAint
|parish=Terrebonne
|cspan=3
|location=Schriever
|lspan=3
|mile=12.5
|road={{jct|state=LA|LA|24|dir1=east|name1=Main Street, Park Avenue|city1=Houma}}
|notes=Interchange; western terminus of LA 24
}}
{{LAint
|mile=13.7
|road={{jct|state=LA|LA|3185|name1=Elizabeth Street}}
|notes=Southeastern terminus of LA 3185
}}
{{LAint
|mile=14.8
|road={{jct|state=LA|LA|648|name1=Percy Brown Road}}
|notes=Southwestern terminus of LA 648
}}
{{LAint
|parish=Lafourche
|cspan=6
|location=Thibodaux
|lspan=4
|type=concur
|mile=16.4
|road={{jct|state=LA|LA|1|dir1=north|name1=St. Mary Street|city1=Napoleonville}}
|notes=West end of LA 1 concurrency
}}
{{LAint
|type=concur
|mile=16.5
|road={{jct|state=LA|LA|1|dir1=south|name1=West 1st Street|city1=Raceland}}
|notes=East end of LA 1 concurrency
}}
{{LAint
|type=concur
|mile=16.6
|road={{jct|state=LA|LA|308|dir1=north|name1=Bayou Road|city1=Napoleonville}}
|notes=West end of LA 308 concurrency
}}
{{LAint
|type=concur
|mile=16.9
|road={{jct|state=LA|LA|308|dir1=south|name1=Bayou Road|city1=Raceland}}
|notes=East end of LA 308 concurrency
}}
{{LAint
|location=Chackbay
|lspan=2
|mile=22.7
|road={{jct|state=LA|LA|304}}
|notes=Northeastern terminus of LA 304
}}
{{LAint
|mile=27.7
|road={{jct|state=LA|LA|307|dir1=south|city1=Kraemer}}
|notes=Northern terminus of LA 307
}}
{{LAint
|parish=St. James
|cspan=4
|location=South Vacherie
|lspan=2
|mile=31.6
|road={{jct|state=LA|LA|643|dir1=east}} – Lac Des Allemands
|notes=Western terminus of LA 643
}}
{{LAint
|mile=32.0
|road={{jct|state=LA|LA|644|dir1=east}}
|notes=Western terminus of LA 644
}}
{{LAint
|location=North Vacherie
|lspan=2
|mile=33.9
|road={{jct|state=LA|LA|3127|city1=Donaldsonville|city2=Boutte}}
|notes=
}}
{{LAint
|mile=36.6
|road={{jct|state=LA|LA|18|name1=River Road|city1=Donaldsonville|city2=Luling}} / Mississippi River Bridge
|notes=Eastern terminus
}}
{{Jctbtm|keys=concur}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Attached KML|display=inline,title}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20130526094137/http://www.dotd.la.gov/planning/mapping/home.aspx La DOTD State, District, and Parish Maps]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20131016100401/http://www.dotd.la.gov/planning/mapping/District%20Maps/District_02.pdf District 02]
- [http://www.dotd.la.gov/planning/mapping/District%20Maps/District_61.pdf District 61]
- [http://www.dotd.la.gov/planning/mapping/Parish%20Maps/Terrebonne_NorthWest.pdf Terrebonne Parish (Northwest Section)]
- [http://www.dotd.la.gov/planning/mapping/Parish%20Maps/Terrebonne_NorthEast.pdf Terrebonne Parish (Northeast Section)]
- [http://www.dotd.la.gov/planning/mapping/Parish%20Maps/Lafourche_NorthWest.pdf Lafourche Parish (Northwest Section)]
- [http://www.dotd.la.gov/planning/mapping/Parish%20Maps/St_James.pdf St. James Parish]
Category:Transportation in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana