Route information | ||||
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Maintained by Louisiana DOTD | ||||
Length | 11.48 mi[1] (18.48 km) | |||
Existed | August 14, 1957[2]–present | |||
History | Completed December 21, 1965[3][4] | |||
NHS | Entire route | |||
Major junctions | ||||
South end | I-10 / I-12 in Slidell | |||
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North end | I-59 / US 11 at Mississippi state line north of Pearl River | |||
Location | ||||
Country | United States | |||
State | Louisiana | |||
Parishes | St. Tammany | |||
Highway system | ||||
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Interstate 59 (I-59) is a part of the Interstate Highway System that runs 445.23 miles (716.53 km) from Slidell, Louisiana, to just outside of Wildwood, Georgia. In the U.S. state of Louisiana, I-59 extends 11.48 miles (18.48 km) from its national southern terminus at I-10 and I-12 in Slidell to the Mississippi state line north of the town of Pearl River. This segment of I-59 is the shortest of the four states which it passes through.[5][6]
The route is located in the southeastern portion of the state, largely paralleling the older U.S. Route 11 (US 11) corridor for its entire length. All of I-59 in Louisiana is located in St. Tammany Parish. I-59 serves as a major thoroughfare through southeastern Louisiana, providing a fast route for travelers headed to and from New Orleans via I-10 and I-12. The Interstate is also an important hurricane evacuation route for travelers headed away from the warm Gulf Coast.