Louisiana Update
The proposed Gulf Coast Strategic Highway route in Louisiana stretches 19
9 miles from the Sabine River to the Mississippi River. It crosses central Louisiana connecting Fort Polk, England Airpark and Camp Beauregard. The route follows LA 8 from the Sabine to Leesville, the gateway to Fort Polk. It then follows LA 28 eastward through Alexandria to the intersection with US 84 near Archie. It follows US 84 from Archie to Vidalia and the Vidalia-Natchez Bridge over the Mississippi River.
The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LaDOTD) has included the proposed strategic interstate in its planning documents. Funds have been committed to completing work on bringing the 50 miles of LA 28 from Alexandria to Fort Polk up to four-lane divided standard including two travel lanes in each direction plus a depressed grass median between oncoming lanes. Approximately 20 miles of this section remain to be completed.
The Gulf Coast Strategic Highway Coalition supports the upgrading of all sections of the corridor across Central Louisiana. This would provide an alternative to traffic that would otherwise use I-20 to the north or I-10 between Houston and Baton Rouge, both corridors that would benefit from congestion relief.
LA 28 Widening Projects 
LaDOTD now has all sections of LA 28 between Leesville and Alexandria either completed or under contract. The final 8.6-mile section at the western edge of Rapides Parish was started in late 2009. These projects are adding new bridges and drainage structures, upgrading intersections, improving safety design and adding new signage as part of the construction of a new four-lane divided highway section. See a map of these improvements in this PDF File.