At 2 p.m., Wednesday, DOTD headquarters office will be closing, for road and bridge closure information after this time, please visit the State Police web site at: http://www.lsp.org/roadandincident.nsf

Please be aware that due to evacuations throughout the Gulf Coast area motorists may experience delays and heavy traffic on major roads and the Interstate System.

For information on available shelters, please contact the Red Cross at 1-800-438-4636.

Contra Flow Traffic Information (New Orleans Area)

UPDATE - Contra Flow has ceased between Loyola and LaPlace Westbound to Baton Rouge. I-10 Eastbound into New Orleans has been reopened.

Lafourche Parish

La. 1 is closed to southbound traffic at Golden Meadow.

Orleans/Jefferson Parishes

CURFEW - The Louisiana State Police has issued a curfew in effect for Orleans Parish beginning at 2 p.m., Wednesday, September 15. All surface streets and Interstates will be closed to traffic.

CURFEW - Jefferson Parish has instituted a curfew from 6 p.m., Wednesday, through 6 a.m., Thursday morning. US 61 in Kenner will also be closed both directions in Jefferson parish.

LA 613-1 (at the parish line) will close at 8 p.m., Tuesday, September 14, at Old Hammond Hwy @ 17th Street Canal (this is a total closure of the bridge). This route will reopen when permissible.

Alternate Route: Veterans Blvd.

Plaquemine Parish

The Jump Basin Bridge is closed.

St. James Parish

LA 641 is closed at US 61.

Tangipahoa Parish

As of 6 am Tuesday morning (9/14/04) I-55 Southbound from I-12 to I-10 in LaPlace will be closed. This includes all interchanges in-between, including US-51 bypass in Hammond, LA-22 in Ponchatoula, and US-51 South of Ponchatoula. These interchanges will be restricted and southbound traffic will not be allowed.

Alternate routes include:
1. I-12 west to Baton Rouge , then east on I-10.
2. Traffic wishing to go south via the Causeway or I-10 in Slidell will have to go I-12 west to the first exit, which is the Pumpkin Center exit, then go back east on I-12 to the Causeway south in Mandeville or to I-10 west in Slidell.

Terrebonne Parish

CURFEW - Terrebonne Parish has announced a parishwide curfew that will go into effect tonight (9-15) at 8 p.m. lasting until tomorrow morning at 6 a.m.. The curfew will be for all persons in the parish except emergency and law enforcement personnel.

The Bayou Dulac Pontoon Bridge on the Falgout Canal Road (between La. 57 and La. 315) in Houma will be closed to vehicular traffic at 4 p.m., Wednesday, September 15. Information put out earlier stating that the Bayou Dularge Bridge would be closing was INCORRECT. The Bayou Dularge Bridge on La. 315 will remain open.

Ferry Information/Closures

Double lines are being added on all of our DOTD landing barges. All of the vessels will be manned with a full crew during the entire event.

There is considerable traffic at New Roads/St. Francisville ferry landing and Plaquemine/Sunshine ferry landings.

Reserve ferry is closing and heading to Plaquemine ferry landing in Iberville Parish to relieve traffic congestion. All other ferry crossings are expected to remain open.

Closures for all other DOTD run ferries TBA.

The Crescent City Connection Division will suspend ferry service at the Lower Algiers/Chalmette, Algiers/Canal Street , and Gretna/Jackson Avenue crossings Wednesday and Thursday, September 15 and 16. This action is necessary to secure the vessels and landings in anticipation of the storm. Ferry service will resume Friday, September 17.

Essential Crescent City Connection police, maintenance, and marine personnel will remain on duty throughout the storm threat to direct traffic and secure facilities as needed.

Bridge Tolls Suspended

The Crescent City Connection Division has suspended all tolls on the Crescent City Connection Bridge through 5:00 a.m. CDT, Friday, September 17.

Essential Crescent City Connection police, maintenance, and marine personnel will remain on duty throughout the storm threat to direct traffic and secure facilities as needed.

Bridge/Lock Closures to Marine Traffic

The following will be closed to marine traffic from the times noted until the threat passes:

The following may be closed to marine traffic dependent on evacuations:

Whenever a mandatory evacuation of any area is ordered, DOTD will close all affected bridges to marine traffic until the evacuation is completed. When closing a bridge because of mandatory evacuation and/or high winds, DOTD will also remove the bridge operator for safety reasons. For this reason, it is imperative that all marine vessel owners move their vessels inland as soon as possible prior to the approach of a hurricane.

Generally speaking, bridges will close to marine traffic when the wind reaches a sustained speed of approximately 40 mph within that area. The factors which affect the closure of these bridges include the speed and direction from which the hurricane is approaching, the strength of the hurricane, the threat of rising waters, the location of the bridge, the ability of the bridge to properly operate in strong wind conditions, the presence or absence of alternate vehicular or marine traffic routes, and the safety of our bridge operators and bridge maintenance personnel.

For additional information on Road Closures visit the Louisiana State Police page at: http://www.lsp.org/roadandincident.nsf.