Louisiana Highway 75

From the west, LA 75 begins at a dead end in the Iberville Parish community of Bayou Pigeon. This point is located just southwest of a junction with LA 997, which leads to Morgan City. LA 75 travels northward as an undivided two-lane highway along the east bank of the Lower Grand River. The route intersects LA 404 at Choctaw, connecting with the town of White Castle. After passing through the community of Bayou Sorrel, LA 75 turns northeast at LA 3066 onto Belleview Road, heading away from the Grand River.[2][3][4]

Upon entering the city of Plaquemine, LA 75 widens to an undivided four-lane highway with a center turning lane. After crossing the Union Pacific Railroad (UP) tracks at grade, LA 75 intersects LA 1, which follows the one-way couplet of Church and Eden Streets through town. Narrowing to two-lane capacity once again, LA 75 makes a zigzag across the Mississippi River levee and crosses the river via the Plaquemine Ferry, a service that operates every half-hour. Upon reaching the east bank levee, LA 75 has a Y-junction with LA 991 (River Road). LA 75 curves eastward to follow alongside the levee, continuing the route of LA 991 downriver.[2][3][4]

LA 75 crosses into the rural city of St. Gabriel at a junction with LA 327 (Gummers Lane). The highway passes through Sunshine, a small community now within the city limits, and bends southward with the river levee. A junction with LA 74 connects with the parallel LA 30 and with Gonzales to the east. LA 75 cuts across a sharp bend in the Mississippi River known as Point Clair and rejoins the river levee at Carville, another community within St. Gabriel.[2][3][4]

After intersecting LA 3115, LA 75 crosses into Ascension Parish and simultaneously exits the St. Gabriel city limits. The highway curves southward with the Mississippi River as petrochemical facilities begin to dominate the landscape. At Geismar, LA 75 intersects LA 73, connecting with Dutchtown. The highway turns eastward, following a sharp bend in the river, and ends soon afterward at a junction with LA 22 in Darrow. The roadway continues straight ahead along the river as LA 942.[2][4][5]

In the original Louisiana Highway system in use between 1921 and 1955, LA 75 was part of several different routes, including State Route 1003 from the western terminus to Bayou Sorrel; State Route 254 to Plaquemine; State Route 1002 to Sunshine; State Route 63 to Geismar; and State Route 1 to Darrow.[8][9] The above highways comprising the Bayou Pigeon–Sunshine route were joined together under the single designation of LA 75 when the Louisiana Department of Highways renumbered the state highway system in 1955.[10]

La 75—From a point at or near Pigeon through or near Indian Village and Plaquemine to a junction with La 30 at or near Sunshine.

— 1955 legislative route description[10]

The remainder of the route from Sunshine to Darrow was originally part of LA 30.[11] Once LA 30 was moved onto its current route during the late 1960s, the bypassed River Road alignment became an extension of LA 75.[12][13] This portion of highway was part of State Route 65 and State Route 1 prior to the 1955 renumbering.[11]

The only other significant change to LA 75 occurred in 1965 when the highway was re-routed through the Plaquemine area.[12][14] LA 75 originally followed what is now LA 3066, weaving into town alongside Bayou Plaquemine. This alignment was bypassed by an extension of former LA 992-2, and the Mississippi River ferry was moved downstream from its previous location at Court Street accordingly.[15]

La DOTD is currently engaged in a program that aims to transfer about 5,000 miles (8,000 km) of state-owned roadways to local governments over the next several years.[16] Under this plan of "right-sizing" the state highway system, both ends of LA 75—consisting of the portion south of LA 404 on the west end and the portion south of LA 3251 on the east end—are proposed for deletion as they no longer meet a significant interurban travel function.[17][18]

Louisiana Highway 75 Spur (LA 75 Spur) runs 0.18 miles (0.29 km) in a southwest to northeast direction, consisting largely of a swing bridge across the Lower Grand River (a link in the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway) in the small Iberville Parish community of Bayou Sorrel. The route connects LA 75 with Bayou Sorrel Road, a local road that travels along the narrow strip of land between Bayou Sorrel and the Lower Grand River.[3][4][19]

The bridge was constructed in 1964,[19] replacing a toll ferry that operated just upstream.[15] As is typical for the state's highway spurs, the mileage for LA 75 Spur increases from the junction with its parent route regardless of geographical direction.

Major intersections
The entire highway is in Bayou Sorrel, Iberville Parish.

mi[1]	km	Destinations	Notes
0.177	0.285	Bayou Sorrel Road	Western terminus
0.111– 0.040	0.179– 0.064	Bridge over Lower Grand River
0.000	0.000	LA 75 – Bayou Pigeon, Plaquemine	Eastern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

•  United States portal
•  U.S. Roads portal

• Maps / GIS Data Homepage, Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development
• Great River Road at Louisiana Scenic Byways