State Highway and Bridge Needs

The Highway Needs Study was established through Act 334, passed by the Louisiana Legislature in 1974 (RS 48:228). This law mandates that the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development conduct an annual assessment of the needs of the State Highway System. The purpose of this assessment is to allow for ongoing monitoring of the system over time, helping to determine whether the overall condition of the state highway network is improving or deteriorating. The study focuses exclusively on existing state highway infrastructure and does not include planned or studied future roadways. The analysis is based solely on measurable criteria, excluding qualitative considerations such as hurricane evacuation, population growth, and economic development.