Project Background
The Regional Planning Commission (RPC) has launched a transportation corridor study focused on the area around Fire Tower Road and LA 445 in Eastern Tangipahoa Parish, near Bedico. This effort builds on a 2019 land use and sub-area study that evaluated potential growth scenarios and their impact on the transportation network. One of the key recommendations from that study was to further explore north-south connectivity between US 190 and LA 22—specifically considering LA 445 and Fire Tower Road as potential connectors.
The Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) for FY 2023–2052 for South Tangipahoa calls for capacity improvements to US 190, I-12, and LA 22, as well as upgrades to LA 445 and Fire Tower Road—both of which connect US 190 to LA 22. Currently, LA 445 features an interchange with I-12, while Fire Tower Road currently has only an overpass.
The new corridor study will review past planning efforts and incorporate a wide range of data, including crash data, transportation vulnerability data, utility infrastructure, demographics, and land use data. It will also include extensive data collection for both motorized and non-motorized users in the area. Using projected growth rates from previous studies, the RPC will evaluate potential improvements to LA 445 and Fire Tower Road, including the feasibility of a new interchange at Fire Tower Road.
