Baton Rouge, Louisiana

====Traffic issues and highway upgrades====
According to the 2008 INRIX National Traffic Scorecard, which ranks the top 100 congested metropolitan areas in the U.S., Baton Rouge was the 33rd-most congested metro area in the country. At a population rank of 67 out of 100, it has the second-highest ratio of population rank to congestion rank, higher than even the [[Los Angeles]]-[[Long Beach, California|Long Beach]]-[[Santa Ana, California|Santa Ana]] metropolitan area, indicating a remarkably high level of congestion for the comparatively low population. According to the Scorecard, Baton Rouge was the only area out of all 100 to show an increase in congestion from 2007 to 2008 (+ 6%). The city also tied for the highest jump in congestion rank over the same period (14 places).<ref>{{cite web |url = http://scorecard.inrix.com/scorecard/Top100Metros.asp |title = INRIX National Traffic Scorecard |website = Scorecard.inrix.com |access-date = April 27, 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110713040047/http://scorecard.inrix.com/scorecard/Top100Metros.asp |archive-date = July 13, 2011 |url-status = live }}</ref>

Interstate 12 used to have a major bottleneck at O'Neal Lane. The interstate was three lanes wide in each direction to the O'Neal Lane exit, where the interstate abruptly became two lanes in each direction and crossed the narrow Amite River Bridge. This stretch of road, called "a deathtrap"<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/8124837.html |title=I-12 accidents piling up |website = 2theadvocate.com |access-date=April 27, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090703184214/http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/8124837.html |archive-date=July 3, 2009 }}</ref> by one lawmaker, had become notorious for traffic accidents, many with fatalities. In 2007, ten people died in traffic accidents within a three-month period on this section of road.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/46588277.html |title=More funds sought for I-12 widening project |website=2theadvocate.com |access-date=April 27, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090608014023/http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/46588277.html |archive-date=June 8, 2009 }}</ref>

In 2009, Governor [[Bobby Jindal]] and the Baton Rouge legislative delegation allocated state and federal funding to widen I-12 from O'Neal Lane to Range Avenue (Exit 10) in Denham Springs. The construction was completed in 2012 and has significantly improved the flow of traffic.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/44106607.html |title=I-12 work to begin |website = 2theadvocate.com |access-date=April 27, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090504055117/http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/44106607.html |archive-date=May 4, 2009 }}</ref> In 2010, The [[American Reinvestment and Recovery Act]] provided committed federal funds to widen I-12 from the Range Avenue Exit to [[Walker, Louisiana]]. Noticing the significant improvement in commute times, Jindal further funded widening to Satsuma, Louisiana.

Interstate 10 West at Bluebonnet Road also ranked within the top 1000 bottlenecks for 2008, and I-10 East at Essen Lane and Nicholson Drive ranked not far out of the top 1000. A new exit to the [[Mall of Louisiana]] was created in 2006, and the interstate was widened between Bluebonnet Blvd and Siegen Lane. But the stretch of I-10 from the I-10/I-12 split to Bluebonnet Blvd was not part of these improvements and remained heavily congested during peak hours. In response, a widening project totaling at least $87 million began in late 2008. Interstate 10 was widened to three lanes over a five-year period between the I-10/I-12 split and Highland Road.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/37052144.html |title=Project on I-10 to begin |website=2theadvocate.com |access-date=April 27, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090703184144/http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/37052144.html |archive-date=July 3, 2009 }}</ref> In 2010, the [[American Reinvestment and Recovery Act]] provided supplemental funding for this project to extend to the Highland Road exit in [[East Baton Rouge Parish]].<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.geauxwider.com/ |title=Geaux Wider |publisher=Geaux Wider |access-date=April 27, 2011 |archive-url = http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20110315155522/http://www.geauxwider.com/ |archive-date= March 15, 2011 |url-status = live }}</ref>

Surface streets in Baton Rouge are prone to severe congestion. But roads are beginning to handle the number of vehicles using them after years of stagnation in road upgrades. Baton Rouge Mayor [[Kip Holden]] has instituted an extensive upgrade of East Baton Rouge Parish roads known as the Green Light Plan, geared toward improving areas of congestion on the city's surface streets. With its first project completed in 2008, it has seen numerous others reach completion as of 2015, with several more under construction and still others yet to break ground.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://greenlight.csrsonline.com/ |title=The Green Light Plan |website=Greenlight.csrsonline.com |access-date=April 27, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708211842/http://greenlight.csrsonline.com/ |archive-date=July 8, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref>

A circumferential loop [[freeway]] was proposed for the greater Baton Rouge metro area to help alleviate congestion on the existing through-town routes. The proposed loop would pass through the outlying parishes of [[Livingston Parish, Louisiana|Livingston]] (running alongside property owned and marketed as an industrial development by Al Coburn, a member of President Mike Grimmer's staff), Ascension, West Baton Rouge, and Iberville, as well as northern East Baton Rouge Parish. This proposal has been subject to much contention, particularly by residents living in the outer parishes through which the loop would pass.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/44842827.html |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090703184149/http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/44842827.html |archive-date=July 3, 2009 |title=Poll shows public support for loop |website = 2theadvocate.com |date=May 12, 2009 |access-date=April 27, 2011 }}</ref>