BATON ROUGE, La. – The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) announced today that a contract has been awarded for a project that is designed to improve safety on roadways in the New Orleans area.

Work on the $910,000 project will involve installing centerline rumble strips on over 109 miles of state highways in DOTD District 02, which includes Jefferson, Lafourche, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles and Terrebonne parishes.

Centerline rumble strips are grooved patterns that are ground into the center of a roadway. They work by producing a noise and vibration that alerts drivers that they are beginning to leave their travel lane. Installing centerline rumble strips is a way to prevent head-on collisions and opposite-direction sideswipe crashes on two-lane roadways. According to the 2010 Highway Safety Manual published by the American Association of State and Transportation Officials, installing centerline rumble strips can reduce these crashes by 15%.

"The safety of the traveling public is the number one priority at DOTD," said DOTD Secretary Sherri. H. LeBas. "Installing centerline rumble strips is yet another way that we can help to prevent crashes and increase safety on Louisiana’s roadways."

Work on the project should begin in early 2011 and finish by summer 2011. The contractor for the work is Highway Technologies Inc. of Houston, Texas.

The project is being funded using Federal Highway Safety Funds at a cost share of 90% federal funds and 10% state matching funds.

This project is part of a statewide safety initiative to install centerline rumble strips on over 2,100 miles of state highways. DOTD will accept bids for all of the projects by the end of the year.

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) is committed to delivering transportation and public works systems that enhance the quality of life. In addition to more than 16,600 miles of roadway, including over 890 miles of interstate, DOTD supports the development of the state’s aviation, marine and rail infrastructures. Through this work, we are able to facilitate economic development, create job opportunities, improve vital evacuation routes, and make critical freight corridors safer and more efficient.