Louisiana Highway 14

Louisiana Highway 14 is a state highway located in southern Louisiana. It runs in an east–west direction from the junction of U.S. Highways 90 and 171 in Lake Charles to LA 182 in New Iberia.
The highway connects a string of small communities and cities in the Acadiana region of the state at a distance of roughly from the Gulf of Mexico. It connects three parish seats and traverses four parishes, briefly passing through the corner of a fifth. The majority of the route runs parallel and to the south of the busier Interstate 10 and US 90 corridor. The biggest population centers are located on either end of the route with the intervening territory being largely rural. Apart from Lake Charles and New Iberia, LA 14 passes through the cities of Abbeville and Kaplan, as well as the towns of Lake Arthur, Gueydan, and Delcambre.
LA 14 marks the southern terminus of US 171 in Lake Charles. The highway also has interchanges with I-210 and US 90 in Lake Charles and New Iberia, respectively.

Route description

Lake Charles to Abbeville

From the west, LA 14 begins at an intersection with US 90 and US 171 in Lake Charles. This intersection, located directly east of the downtown area, also marks the southern terminus of US 171, which heads north toward DeRidder. Signs direct motorists to two nearby interchanges with I-10: north on US 171 for eastbound I-10 to Lafayette and west on US 90 for westbound I-10 to Beaumont, Texas. LA 14 travels south on South Martin Luther King Highway, an undivided four-lane commercial thoroughfare with a center turning lane. After several blocks, it intersects US 90 Bus. at Broad Street, and the local name changes to Gerstner Memorial Drive. later, LA 14 passes through a diamond interchange with I-210, a southern bypass of Lake Charles. South of the interstate, the surroundings begin to take on a more rural character. An intersection with LA 3186 provides a connection to nearby McNeese State University. Shortly after crossing the city limits, LA 14 intersects LA 3092 and turns east, becoming an undivided two-lane highway. Here, the directional banners for LA 14 change from north–south to east–west for the remainder of its journey. Over the next, LA 14 zigzags through southeastern Calcasieu Parish along rural section line roads. During this stretch, the highway intersects LA 27 at a point known as Holmwood, connecting with Cameron on the Gulf of Mexico. LA 14 also passes through the tiny unincorporated communities of Bell City and Hayes. Between them is an intersection with LA 101, which heads north toward I-10 and US 90 at Lacassine. In Hayes, the highway turns south and crosses into Jefferson Davis Parish soon afterward.
Entering the southwestern corner of Jefferson Davis Parish, LA 14 turns to resume its eastward course and crosses a high-rise fixed span bridge over the wide and serpentine Bayou Lacassine. Over the between the bridge and the town of Lake Arthur, LA 14 intersects two other state highways. The first is LA 99, which heads north to junctions with I-10 and US 90 in Welsh. The second is LA 3056, leading to the nearby Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge to the south. After curving to the northeast, LA 14 reaches a T-intersection with LA 380 along the northern border of Lake Arthur, a small town located on a body of water with the same name. The route turns south onto Iowa Avenue, running concurrent with LA 380, then east onto 8th Street to Arthur Avenue. From this intersection, through traffic may bypass the center of town by continuing straight ahead on LA 380 for a short distance to LA 26. LA 14 turns south onto Arthur Avenue then east onto 3rd Street to Calcasieu Avenue. Located at this intersection is the southern terminus of LA 26, connecting with I-10 and US 90 in Jennings. LA 14 turns southeast, continuing the route of LA 26 out of Lake Arthur. It then proceeds across a continuous beam bridge over the Mermentau River and into Vermilion Parish.
Just inside Vermilion Parish, LA 14 briefly passes through the northeastern corner of Cameron Parish. It then turns due east to re-enter Vermilion Parish, throughout which the route is generally designated as Veterans Memorial Drive. After, LA 14 reaches the small town of Gueydan and an intersection with southbound LA 91. LA 14 turns north onto 1st Street, briefly running concurrent with LA 91 along the west end of town. After three blocks, LA 91 continues northward toward Morse while LA 14 turns east to follow Main Street, a divided four-lane thoroughfare, through Gueydan. On the east end of town, LA 14 narrows again to an undivided two-lane highway and proceeds to curve south then east along rural section line roads. Over the next, the highway passes through points such as Wright and Mulvey, intersecting several minor state routes. Shortly after curving to the southeast, LA 14 intersects LA 13, connecting with I-10 and US 90 in Crowley, and widens to accommodate a center turning lane. The highway then immediately enters the city of Kaplan, serving as its principal east–west thoroughfare. Near the center of town is an intersection with LA 35, another connection to I-10 and US 90, this time in Rayne. LA 35 also heads south toward remote points along the Gulf of Mexico. Upon exiting Kaplan, LA 14 loses its center lane and proceeds due east through the tiny community of Nunez. later, the highway enters the city of Abbeville, the seat of Vermilion Parish.

Abbeville to New Iberia

Just inside the Abbeville city limits, LA 14 Bus. branches off of highway to head through the historic downtown area. The mainline route, West Summers Drive, proceeds straight ahead and widens to a four-lane highway with a center turning lane. After a short distance, the highway intersects US 167, which heads north toward Lafayette. It then crosses a wide vertical lift bridge over Bayou Vermilion, also known as the Vermilion River. Now passing to the north of the downtown area, LA 14 intersects LA 82, connecting with points south of town such as Perry and Intracoastal City. Passing through a mixed residential and commercial area, the highway intersects LA 338 and curves southeast to rejoin the business route. On the east end of town, LA 14 passes the Abbeville Chris Crusta Memorial Airport and intersects LA 3267, also signed as the LA 82 truck route.
As LA 14 approaches the town of Erath, the center lane gives way to a median, and the highway begins to parallel the Louisiana and Delta Railroad line. LA 14 proceeds to make a gentle curve around the north side of town while LA 14 Bus. branches off to follow Lastie Street through town along the rail line. Between the local roads Old Railroad Road and North Suire Street, a center turning lane briefly replaces the highway's median. Leaving Erath, an intersection with LA 339 connects the town with the Youngsville area south of Lafayette. The business route rejoins the mainline route, and LA 14 proceeds into the neighboring town of Delcambre. Here, the route intersects LA 89, another connection to Youngsville, and regains its center lane through the remainder of Delcambre. LA 14 crosses from Vermilion Parish into Iberia Parish midway through town. Leaving Delcambre, the route crosses a vertical lift bridge over the Delcambre Canal, also known as Bayou Carlin, and the surroundings become largely rural once more.
In Iberia Parish, LA 14 becomes a divided four-lane highway once more and curves to the northeast away from the rail line in an area known as Bob Acres. After, LA 14 passes through an interchange with US 90 at Exit 128A, simultaneously entering the parish seat, the city of New Iberia. US 90 connects with Lafayette to the northwest and Morgan City to the southeast. Gaining a center turning lane for a final time, LA 14 proceeds east and intersects LA 83, connecting to Weeks Island. The highway continues through town on Center Street and intersects LA 674. LA 14 gradually narrows to two lanes as it approaches its eastern terminus at LA 182 opposite Bayou Teche. LA 182 follows a one-way pair along St. Peter and Main Streets, located two blocks apart.

Route classification and data

LA 14 is generally classified by the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development as an urban principal arterial within the cities of Lake Charles, Abbeville, and New Iberia. Otherwise, the route serves as a rural major collector west of Lake Arthur and as a rural or urban minor arterial east of Lake Arthur. Daily traffic volume in 2013 peaked at 29,200 vehicles in Lake Charles and 20,800 in New Iberia. The lowest figure reported was 1,040 vehicles in rural Jefferson Davis Parish.
The posted speed limit is in rural areas, usually reduced to between and through town.
The western portion of LA 14 from Lake Charles to south of Hayes is part of the Creole Nature Trail, a National Scenic Byway All-American Road. Two additional portions of LA 14 are included in the state-designated system of tourist routes known as the Louisiana Scenic Byways. The first spans from south of Hayes eastward to Lake Arthur and is part of the Flyway Byway. The second portion, running from Gueydan to Delcambre, makes up the entirety of the Cajun Corridor.

History

Pre-1955 route numbering

In the original Louisiana Highway system in use between 1921 and 1955, the modern LA 14 was part of three separate routes.

Western and eastern sections

The section from Lake Charles to Holmwood was a small part of State Route 42. Route 42 followed the modern US 171 corridor from Lake Charles as far north as Mansfield in DeSoto Parish. South of Holmwood, it followed the current LA 27 south and west to Cameron on the Gulf of Mexico. The portion of Route 42 now followed by LA 14 remained the same during the pre-1955 era.
The eastern half of LA 14 from Lake Arthur to New Iberia was also part of a much longer pre-1955 route, State Route 25. It was the middle portion of a U-shaped route that also included the modern corridor of LA 26 to Oberlin on the west end and LA 31 to Opelousas on the east end. The portion of Route 25 now followed by LA 14 had some minor differences in the pre-1955 era. Southeast of the Mermentau River bridge at Lake Arthur, the highway made a jog at LA 717 east onto Cypress Point Road then south onto Clesmae Road to rejoin the present alignment. On the east side of Gueydan, the highway turned south from Main Street onto 13th Street, then east onto Maree Michel Road, and south onto Hair Road to rejoin the current alignment. This portion of the route was re-aligned by the time of the 1955 Louisiana Highway renumbering. Further east, the pre-1955 route generally followed the current business routes through Abbeville and Erath. Sharp turns have been smoothed out over several portions of the route, most notably in Iberia Parish, where short segments of the original route bypassed during the 1920s are now local roads known as Old LA 25 Road.