Historic US Highway endpoints
in Baton Rouge/Port Allen, LA

Research credits: David Backlin; Robert Droz. More research, plus photos: "Urban Prairie Schooner"

According to a 1932 map, US 71 followed its present route south from Alexandria LA only as far as Lebeau. From there it followed what are now state highways through Melville and Fordoche to Rosedale; then east via today's LA 76 to the Mississippi River at Port Allen. Meanwhile, US 190 went west from Slidell LA only as far as Baton Rouge. There was a ferry that connected the two towns, but originally neither route crossed the river. US 71 came into Port Allen on Court Street, which back then led to the Baton Rouge ferry landing. Today it dead-ends at the levee, but the area east of there is now an attractive riverside park, and you can walk up the historic right-of-way:

Priola, June 2008

That's looking west along the historic beginning of US 71. Turning the opposite direction, you reach the historic marker pictured below:

Priola, June 2008

It was about 1935 when the US 190 designation was extended westward from Baton Rouge - it used the ferry to get to this point, and then continued into Texas - that's the situation described on the sign shown above. The gazebo beyond there is situated on the old right-of-way; it's shown in the photo below:

Priola, June 2008

The old road went straight ahead through there to the ferry landing. Today it leads to a nice view of Baton Rouge across the river:

Priola, June 2008

That was the original south end of US 71. Straight across the river was the original west beginning of US 190. In 1940, when US 190 traffic was redirected to use the current bridge to the north of here, it's possible that the US 71 designation was extended across the river (more on that below). You can see the Louisiana State Capitol at far left; the two tall buildings near the center of the photo are also visible in the shot below:

Priola, June 2008

That's the view coming off the ferry on the Baton Rouge side, looking east on North Street, so that was the original west beginning of US 190. The shot below is looking the opposite direction:

Priola, June 2008

That's looking at the west end of North St, and the historic west end of US 190, at the old ferry landing. At far left you can see part of the I-10 bridge over the river. That opened to traffic in 1968, and that was the same year the ferry ceased operations. Now, as I mentioned before: when US 190 traffic was rerouted away from this ferry, it's possible that US 71 was extended across the river via the ferry. If so, it probably would've ended at its junction with US 61. "Urban Prairie Schooner" has a page that explains this in more detail and includes photos of possible endpoints (click here).