BATON ROUGE – The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) announced today that Phase II of the I-10/Picardy Avenue Interchange project will begin on Sunday, July 25. 

            Phase II of the project will begin with the realignment of traffic to the outside lanes of I-10, so that work can be performed on the eastbound and westbound inside lanes. This phase is expected to last approximately eight months. The $40 million project is aimed at reducing congestion on I-10 at Bluebonnet Boulevard and Siegen Lane.  The project involves the creation of two, one-way frontage roads running east and west along I-10 between Bluebonnet Boulevard and Siegen Lane and the widening and reconstruction of I-10 between these two roads. 

            The project is being undertaken in six phases and is expected to be completed by late summer of 2006.  Periodic lane closures will occur, but will be limited to night time hours (8 p.m. - 6 a.m.) on Sundays through Thursdays.  At all other times, two lanes of traffic will be maintained.  No lane closures will be allowed on weekends (between 6 a.m. Friday and 8 p.m. Sunday) or on holidays. 

            The contractor for the project is James Construction Group, LLC.  In order to minimize the duration of the project and its impact on motorists, DOTD is providing an incentive for each day of early completion. The project is being funded with federal, state and local monies.  The DOTD project engineer is Mike Vosburg, who may be reached at (225) 231-4123.

            Motorists are urged to drive carefully through the construction work zones.  Delays of 20 minutes should be anticipated and speed limits will be reduced to 50 miles per hour for the duration of the project.  DOTD’s Motorist Assistance Patrols will continue to patrol the area throughout the project’s duration.