From the west, LA 44 begins at an intersection with
LA 42 (
Oak Grove-
Port Vincent Highway) in Prairieville. The highway travels south along North Burnside Avenue into
Gonzales where it intersects with
US 61 (
North Airline Highway). Passing through downtown Gonzales, LA 44 has a brief concurrency with
LA 429. After several blocks, the local name changes to South Burnside Avenue at an intersection with
LA 3038 (East Cornerview Street), and LA 429 splits off to the west along West Cornerview Street. Leaving Gonzales, LA 44 continues south and intersects with
I-10. After three miles, LA 44 intersects with
LA 22 as that highway runs between
Sorrento and
Darrow. A mile later, LA 44 reaches the east bank of the Mississippi River at an intersection with
LA 942 at
Burnside. Here, the route turns onto the River Road and soon crosses from Ascension Parish into St. James Parish. It then passes under and connects with the
Sunshine Bridge, part of
LA 70 to
Donaldsonville. Continuing downriver, LA 44 begins to follow a generally eastward direction passing through the communities of
Convent,
Paulina,
Lutcher, and
Gramercy. Jefferson Highway, the local name in use beginning in Lutcher, is a vestige of the road being part of that historic auto trail in the 1910s and 1920s. On the east side of Gramercy, LA 44 passes under and connects with a second Mississippi River crossing known as the
Gramercy Bridge, part of
LA 3213, just before entering St. John the Baptist Parish. Continuing along the Mississippi River, LA 44 runs parallel to US 61 (Airline Highway) and passes through the communities of
Mt. Airy,
Garyville,
Lions, and
Reserve. LA 44 then enters LaPlace, turning away from the river at an intersection with
LA 636 onto West 5th Street. Almost two miles later, LA 44 turns northeast onto Main Street at
LA 628. The route ends at US 61 (West/East Airline Highway) near the southern terminus of
US 51. LA 44 is an undivided, two-lane highway from LA 42 to
LA 621 in Gonzales, where it widens into an undivided, four-lane highway. At
LA 30, LA 44 becomes a divided four-lane highway to just south of I-10, where it reverts to an undivided, two-lane highway for the remainder of its route to LaPlace. ==History==