Louisiana Highway 82
Louisiana Highway 82 is a state highway located in southern Louisiana. It runs in a general east–west direction from the Texas state line east of Port Arthur to the Vermilion–Lafayette parish line southwest of Youngsville.
The route parallels the coastline of the Gulf of Mexico for the majority of its length. On its eastern end, LA 82 becomes a north–south route as it turns away from the coast toward the Vermilion Parish city of Abbeville, located along LA 14. Connections are made here to the U.S. Highway 90 corridor along Bayou Teche as well as the Lafayette metropolitan area via US 167.
LA 82 serves as a vital route for both the area's oil and gas as well as seafood and fishing industries. It is also the only east–west route spanning the coastal portions of Cameron and Vermilion parishes. This sparsely populated area in the southwestern part of the state contains a string of small settlements and communities located along natural ridges in the vast marshland, known locally as cheniers. LA 82 connects several of these cheniers, allowing them access to the cities of Port Arthur on the west and Abbeville on the northeast. The only other land-based routes to the area are via LA 27, which loops around Calcasieu Lake providing an important connection to Lake Charles, the largest city in southwestern Louisiana. LA 82 also passes through Cameron, the seat of Cameron Parish, where it runs concurrent with LA 27 for several miles. LA 82 and the communities along its path have survived despite their vulnerability to storm surge, which caused extensive damage most recently by Hurricanes Rita and Ike.
The highway passes through a wide variety of surroundings. Besides the coastal marshes, LA 82 traverses inland prairies, rural farmland, and the longest stretch of sandy beach in the state. Several navigable waterways and industrial channels are encountered along the way, including the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. Four are crossed by way of movable bridges and another, Calcasieu Pass, is crossed at Cameron by toll ferry. The area's distinctive abundance of wildlife is reflected in the highway's designation through Cameron Parish as part of the Creole Nature Trail, an All-American Road in the National Scenic Byways Program.
Route description
Sabine Lake to Cameron
From the west, LA 82 begins at the Texas state line continuing the route of Texas State Highway 82 midway across a bridge over Sabine Lake. The bridge connects Jefferson County, Texas and Cameron Parish, Louisiana just offshore of the city limits of Port Arthur, Texas near the Gulf of Mexico. Heading northeast off of the bridge, LA 82 immediately curves to the southeast and passes the Chevron Sabine Gas Plant and Cheniere Energy liquefied natural gas facility located on the Sabine Pass. The highway then curves to the east and heads through the desolate marshes of Cameron Parish initially along an artificial embankment flanked by drainage canals. As the highway begins to approach the coastline of the Gulf of Mexico, however, it transitions onto the Blue Buck Ridge, a narrow strip of natural dry land. A few homes begin to dot the landscape, most of which are raised on piers and set back a distance from the road.File:LA82WestRoadCenterline-AlongBeaches.jpg|thumb|Center line of Louisiana Highway 82 alongside the Gulf of Mexico, near Holly Beach.
File:LA82East-AcadiaFerryBoarding.jpg|thumb|Boarding the LaDOTD Acadia Ferry, which is used for crossing the Calcasieu Ship Channel on Louisiana Highway 82.
Passing through the small community of Johnson Bayou, located about from the Sabine Lake bridge, LA 82 becomes known as the Gulf Beach Highway. The sandy beaches of the gulf coast come into view approximately east of Johnson Bayou in an area known as Constance Beach. LA 82 proceeds eastward flanked by the beach and the uninhabited marsh for another before curving into a T-intersection with LA 27 at Holly Beach. This leg of LA 27 heads north to Sulphur outside the larger city of Lake Charles and provides one of only two inland connections from the Cameron Parish gulf coast. LA 82 turns to resume its eastward course as it runs concurrently with LA 27 past the cluster of raised waterfront homes comprising Holly Beach. After, the highway curves to the northeast away from the coastline and then due north alongside the Calcasieu Ship Channel. later, the road curves east to cross the channel via ferry. The Cameron Ferry charges $1 per vehicle and 25 cents per bicycle or pedestrian.
Cameron to Grand Chenier
After crossing the channel, the highway enters Cameron, the unincorporated parish seat and largest community in the sparsely populated parish. Heading through town on Marshall Street, the road parallels the Calcasieu Pass for a short distance. An unmarked intersection with LA 1141 once connected with a ferry across the pass to the now largely abandoned Monkey Island. LA 27 and LA 82 proceed through Cameron, passing its local government offices and commercial services. An intersection with LA 1142 leads south to an area along the shoreline. The east side of town consists of intermittent residential development along a natural ridge set back from the beach. Upon leaving Cameron, the highway turns north onto the first of several short zigzags as it begins to take a general northeast course toward Creole. This portion of the route is signed as an alternate route of the Creole Nature Trail. Signs direct travelers straight ahead onto Trosclair Road, a more direct local road, to follow the preferred route.About later, the highway reaches Creole, a four-way junction where LA 27 turns back to the north, providing the second and last connection to the Lake Charles area. Signs also direct travelers to follow LA 27 to reach the Cameron Prairie National Wildlife Refuge. From this intersection, LA 1143 heads east while LA 82 turns due south toward the coastline. After, LA 82 turns east again at Oak Grove, the location of the region's high school as well as the Catfish Point Control Structure, a saltwater intrusion barrier. east of Oak Grove, LA 82 crosses a swing bridge over the Mermentau River into Grand Chenier. The highway travels along a grassy ridge through the community, which consists of a string of homes on the north side of the road that are interspersed with large oak trees. After, LA 82 passes the entrance to the Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge, located on the south side of the highway. As LA 82 nears the end of the Grand Chenier ridge, it passes through two sparsely populated areas known as Tiger Island and North Island.
Coastal Vermilion Parish
Continuing through the desolate marsh, LA 82 crosses the Superior Canal by way of a second swing bridge. After crossing from Cameron Parish into Vermilion Parish, LA 82 continues through the marsh for about before reaching another populated chenier known as Pecan Island, located between the coastline and the large White Lake. In the center of this community, which has homes on either side of the highway, the ridge divides into a front and back ridge. LA 82 curves due east to follow the latter, which is farther from the gulf. After, the highway curves to the north and merges with LA 3147, a gravel route connecting to a remote location on the coastline known as Freshwater City. The directional signage for LA 82, when utilized, changes here from east–west to north–south for the remainder of the route. Proceeding northward, LA 82 once again travels atop a man-made embankment through the marsh for about before crossing a third swing bridge over the Schooner Bayou Canal, also known as the Old Intracoastal Canal.LA 82 proceeds northward along Little Prairie Ridge for about to an area known as Forked Island. Here, the highway crosses a high-level fixed bridge over the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. Shortly afterward, LA 82 reaches a T-intersection with LA 35, which heads north to the city of Kaplan. LA 82 turns east at this intersection and proceeds for about through an area of farmland mixed with light residential development. It then reaches another T-intersection in the small community of Esther. From this intersection, LA 333 heads south to Intracoastal City located on the canal of the same name. LA 82 turns north and travels for toward Perry, located on the Vermilion River just south of Abbeville. On the way, the highway intersects LA 690, which provides access to the nearby Palmetto Island State Park. LA 82 follows Elm Street through the three block-long community of Perry then crosses the Vermilion River by way of a vertical lift bridge. It then curves eastward briefly onto Perry Drive and into the suburban outskirts of Abbeville. At a T-intersection with LA 330, LA 82 turns north and immediately intersects LA 3267. LA 3267 is signed as the truck route of LA 82 around the southeast side of Abbeville. It allows through traffic to bypass the city to connect with LA 14, leading to Delcambre and New Iberia.
Abbeville to Lafayette Parish line
LA 82 crosses the Abbeville city limits just north of LA 3267 and follows South State Street toward the center of town. The roadway gains a center turning lane for the few blocks between 5th Street and Railroad Avenue. Entering the city's downtown Historic District, the route passes a series of historic storefronts and municipal buildings. LA 82 intersects LA 14 Bus. at the southwest corner of the courthouse square. From the west, LA 14 Bus. follows Concord Street to the square then divides onto the one-way pair of Peace and Tivoli Streets around the square before combining again to proceed east on Charity Street. LA 82 also divides to navigate the square, becoming a divided four-lane highway as northbound traffic makes a jog from State Street onto the parallel St. Charles Street. This one-way pair lasts for four blocks through the residential neighborhood north of the square. North St. Charles Street then merges back onto North State Street, which becomes an undivided four-lane thoroughfare. A few blocks later, LA 82 intersects LA 14, a four-lane highway that contains most of the city's commercial services. Just west on LA 14 across the Vermilion River is an intersection with US 167, the main route to Lafayette.File:LA82wRoad-EnterVermilionParish.jpg|thumb|Westbound at the eastern terminus of Louisiana Highway 82 between Vermilion and Lafayette Parishes.
LA 82 proceeds across LA 14, narrowing to a two-lane highway once again, and exits the Abbeville city limits. The route begins to parallel the Vermilion River in a general northeast direction as the surrounding area takes on a mostly rural character. After, the highway reaches a T-intersection with Lulu Road where a swing bridge signed as LA 1246 crosses the river immediately to the west. The route turns east and proceeds for another to the Lafayette Parish line where state maintenance and the LA 82 designation officially end. Local roads carry traffic for the short distance between there and LA 339, which connects to Youngsville and other areas of urban sprawl south of nearby Lafayette.