Airline Highway, Baton Rouge

On Baton Rouge’s Airline Highway, the road snakes beneath a tangle of overpasses and steel supports, a striking symbol of mid-20th-century infrastructure. Originally developed as a major bypass route, Airline Highway became one of Louisiana’s busiest commercial arteries, linking petrochemical plants, warehouses, and neighborhoods across the capital region. At dusk, the glow of distant lights cuts through the industrial sprawl, underscoring how this corridor remains a vital — if gritty — backbone of the city’s economy and daily life.