Louisiana Highway 72

From the west, LA 72 begins on Barksdale Boulevard at its intersection with Hamilton Road. The route heads east on Barksdale Boulevard, a four-lane thoroughfare with a center turn lane. After a short distance, Barksdale Boulevard curves to southeast, connecting with southbound US 71. LA 72 continues straight ahead onto Old Minden Road and intersects LA 3 (Benton Spur Road), directly opposite a ramp leading to an interchange with westbound I-20 and northbound US 71. A short distance later, LA 72 passes directly through a diamond interchange with I-20 at exit 21. Continuing eastward, LA 72 intersects LA 3105 (Airline Drive) and Northgate Road, leading to the nearby Barksdale Air Force Base. The highway then curves to the north and simultaneously intersects LA 782-2 (Industrial Drive). Shortly afterward, LA 72 crosses the Kansas City Southern Railway (KCS) tracks at grade and passes underneath I-20. LA 72 reaches its eastern terminus immediately afterward at an intersection with the concurrent US 79/US 80 (East Texas Street). Average daily traffic volume in 2013 ranged from 7,900 to 12,300 vehicles. The entire route has a posted speed limit of . ==History==

In the original Louisiana Highway system in use between 1921 and 1955, the modern LA 72 was originally designated as part of State Route 4, which followed the Dixie Overland Highway, an early auto trail, through northern Louisiana. In 1926, it became part of the original route of US 80, which duplicated Route 4 east of Shreveport. The Barksdale Boulevard segment also carried US 71, which shared a bridge across the Red River with US 80. LA 72 was created with the 1955 renumbering, following only the portion of the current route east of LA 3. When I-20 was opened through the area in 1966, US 71 began to follow the parallel interstate alignment from exit 20B–C westward across the Red River Bridge. LA 72 was then extended to follow the old route along Barksdale Boulevard west to Traffic Street and north onto Traffic Street to US 79/US 80. (The Traffic Street segment had been used as a connector during various times when US 71 was routed over the Long-Allen Bridge; its original state route designation in the 1955 renumbering was LA 782-3.) The Traffic Street connector was returned to local control in the 2000s, followed by the portion of Barksdale Boulevard west of Hamilton Road in 2016, ==Future==

La DOTD is currently engaged in a program that aims to transfer about of state-owned roadways to local governments over the next several years. Under this plan of "right-sizing" the state highway system, the entirety of LA 72 is proposed for deletion as it no longer meets a significant interurban travel function. ==Major intersections==