DOTD announces opening of new I-10 west flyover ramp into MSY
Tuesday, September 26, 2023 at 1:11:36 PM
Kenner, LA – The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) announces the upcoming opening of the newly constructed I-10 west flyover ramp at Loyola Dr., which will provide direct access to Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY).
The new ramp is scheduled to open to the public on Friday, September 29, 2023.
“Opening this ramp with direct access to the airport is a great accomplishment and will be helpful to many travelers of this corridor, both going to the airport and everyday users,” said DOTD Secretary Eric Kalivoda. “We look forward to opening the second ramp in the near future.”
Gilchrist Construction, the prime contractor on the project, moved up an estimated mid-November opening date for the I-10 west ramp due in part to the dry weather throughout the summer.
The opening of the new ramp marks the first significant step toward the completion of the $125.6 million I-10/Loyola Drive Interchange Project, ongoing since 2020, which improves interstate, local, and airport traffic flow through the Kenner area. As a design-build project, contractors, designers, and consultants work together to minimize costs and delays.
The ramp avoids traffic lights by passing over the Loyola/Veterans Blvd. intersection and descends to integrate into Terminal Dr., the new four-lane divided highway that serves as the entrance to the airport. At the end of the ramp, drivers will follow airport terminal signage to their destinations.
The next major step in the project's opening will be the second flyover ramp, which will allow exiting airport vehicles to merge directly onto I-10 east toward New Orleans. This second flyover ramp, adjacent to the first, is estimated to open approximately two weeks after the first, weather permitting. Both ramps join in a single structure in the middle of Terminal Dr., just south of Veterans Blvd.
Opening both ramps will dramatically increase traffic flow efficiency in and out of the airport and ease congestion off the Loyola Dr. exit. The Loyola Dr. exit has served as the main entryway to the new airport since the new airport opened in 2019.
In addition to the ramps, auxiliary lanes will join I-10 between the Williams Blvd. (LA 49) and Loyola Dr. exits. These extra lanes widen I-10 to four lanes in each direction, thus easing congestion and allowing airport traffic to have less of an impact on interstate traffic.
The final step will be opening the state's first diverging diamond interchange (DDI). Currently near completion, the DDI will improve traffic flow by eliminating the need for left turn signals at the Loyola Dr. and I-10 interchange.
The full project, including both ramps, the widening of I-10, and the DDI, is estimated to be completed in the first half of 2024.
