I-49 was an intrastate Interstate Highway until December 12, 2012, when the designation was officially approved for an upgraded portion of US 71 in Missouri running from Joplin north to Kansas City.

During the sugarcane season, there are a large number of trucks and tractors pulling heavy cane wagons, causing traffic congestion and accidents.

I-49 North is a 36-mile (58 km) construction project that connected I-220 in Shreveport to the Arkansas state line and has been divided into 11 segments.

[13] On October 17, 2018, the remaining interchange ramps were opened to traffic, making I-49 continuous from I-220 in Shreveport to the Arkansas state line.

; Westbank Expressway; hidden Interstate 910) through Westwego, Gretna, and across the Mississippi River via the Crescent City Connection to a terminus at I-10 in the New Orleans Central Business District.

[17] In April 2015, the DOTD accepted proposals for an upcoming design–build project to construct an interchange at the junction of US 90 and LA 318, which is located in St. Mary Parish between Jeanerette and Baldwin.

[17] It is projected to follow the existing path of the Evangeline Thruway, a divided six-lane surface roadway that passes just to the east of the downtown area.

[20] Planning for this segment has been ongoing for decades, but construction has been delayed numerous times due to local opposition.

The most recent attempt to begin construction was halted due to federal officials launching civil rights investigation into the project in early 2023[21][22][23] and there are calls for the planning of this segment to be abandoned.

Before funding can be secured and construction can begin, the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) and the Secondary Record of Decision (SROD) is required first.

[31] On November 14, 2022, Governor John Bel Edwards was joined by the DOTD along with other state and local officials to celebrate the start of the Ambassador Caffery Interchange in Broussard.

A direct connection through Shreveport, known as the Inner-City Connector, is controversial since its path is projected to pass through the residential Allendale neighborhood, which would necessitate the displacement of many of its residents.

A no-build alternative would route through traffic via the existing LA 3132 (Inner Loop Expressway) and I-220 alignments after necessary improvements to those highways are carried out.

[37] In May 2023, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) secretary Eric Kalivoda announced that a route and design, in other words, Record of Decision (ROD) could be established by 2025 with a groundbreaking following about three years later.

[38] Although public opposition to the connector, which would cost about $1 billion to construct, remains strong,[39] this proposal has had a more positive response than previous ones.