BATON ROUGE, La. – The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) today advised drivers of upcoming work schedules for interstate and major construction projects during the Allstate Sugar Bowl on Tuesday, January 3, at 7:30 p.m., and for the BCS National Championship Game on Monday, January 9, at 7:30 p.m.

“This is an exciting time for football fans in Louisiana and across the country,” said DOTD Secretary Sherri H. LeBas, P.E.  “Our Department would like to remind motorists to engage in safe driving practices by obeying all traffic laws.  This means paying attention to posted speed limits, specifically in construction zones, wearing your seatbelt and refraining from drinking while driving.” 

Below is the regional listing of work schedules and road closures for interstate construction and major road projects.

Southeast Louisiana 
In the New Orleans area, I-10 from the Veterans Overpass to the Jefferson/St. Charles Parish line will have eastbound and westbound left lane closures nightly on January 4 and January 5, 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., as crews pour concrete to install cable barriers.  In association with this work, the inside eastbound and westbound shoulders of I-10 will be closed daily from January 4 through January 6, 5 a.m. to 5 p.m.

In Jefferson Parish, the westbound span of the Huey P. Long Bridge will experience a full closure nightly from January 3 through January 6, 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.  Additionally, the eastbound span will be completely closed daily from 1:30 a.m. to 5 a.m. from January 3 to January 7.  Lastly, the inside lanes of the bridge will be closed in each direction from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on January 7.

In the Slidell area, the interstate will remain open to traffic for the Allstate Sugar Bowl on January 3.  For the BCS Championship Bowl, there will be no lane closures on I-10, I-55 and I-59 from January 7 to January 10.  Construction activities on I-12 will cease on January 9 at 5:00 a.m. and resume January 10 at 8:00 p.m.
In the Hammond area, all lanes of I-12 and I-55 will remain open to traffic for the Allstate Sugar Bowl on January 3 and there will be no interstate lane closures for the BCS Championship Bowl from January 7 to January 9.

In East Baton Rouge parish, all lanes of I-10, I-110 and I-12 will remain open to traffic for the Allstate Sugar Bowl on January 3 and there will be no interstate lane closures for the BCS Championship Bowl from January 7 to January 9.  Additionally, U.S. 61 will have no closures during this time.  The northbound and southbound lanes of O’Neal Lane will be closed under I-12 nightly from January 4 to January 7, 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., to allow for the demolition of the existing I-12 O’Neal Lane Bridges. Due to the closure of O'Neal directly under the interstate, full acess from the on and off ramps will be retricted.

In Livingston Parish, the I-12 Range Avenue exit and entrance ramps and the Juban Road entrance ramp will be closed beginning at 8 p.m. on January 3 and lasting until 5 a.m. on January 4.  Additionally, beginning at 8 p.m. on January 3 and lasting until 5 a.m. on January 4, the I-12 westbound travel lanes from Juban Road just past 4-H Club Road will be shifted slightly to the left for crews to complete roadway surface work.  For the BCS Championship Bowl, I-12 lane closures will cease January 9 at 5 a.m. and resume January 10 at 8 p.m.  Daytime closures are not allowed on these projects.

Drivers should note the reduced speed limit within the construction zones on I-10 and I-12.

Southwest Louisiana 
In the Lafayette area and surrounding parishes, all lanes of I-10 and I-49 will remain open to traffic for the Allstate Sugar Bowl on Tuesday, January 3.  During the BCS Championship Bowl on January 9, interstate construction activities will conclude on January 8 at 8 a.m. and resume January 9 at 8 p.m.

In the Lake Charles area, westbound lanes of the I-10 Calcasieu River Bridge will be closed from 9 p.m. on January 3 to 5 a.m. on January 4 to redeploy concrete barriers for bridge repair work.  A similar eastbound closure is scheduled for 9 p.m. on January 4 to 5 a.m. on January 5.  Thru traffic will detour by way of I-210 during these closure periods. 

Crescent City Connection
The Crescent City Connection (CCCD) will provide additional security throughout these events and will maintain regular hours of operation for its ferries.

Motorist Assistance Patrol (MAP)
In New Orleans and Baton Rouge, DOTD’s Motorist Assistance Patrol (MAP) will extend its hours of operation from 7:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. on January 3 and on January 9 while maintaining service along its designated routes. 

Additionally, MAP tow coverage hours in New Orleans will be extended from 6:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. on January 3 and January 9.  On these dates, the MAP tow limits will be expanded from the Hi-Rise Bridge to the Twin Span Bridge.  Lastly, MAP will be added to the Bonnet Carre’ Bridge from 6:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. for the Allstate Sugar Bowl and BCS National Championship Game. 

LA Swift Bus Service
LA Swift, the bus service that provides coach bus rides between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, will maintain its regular hours of operation for the football games.  However, to accommodate the anticipated crowds, additional LA Swift buses will be available to transport passengers, as needed.

Schedules and further details are available at www.laswift.com and through LA Swift’s Customer Service Center at (877)-94-SWIFT (1-877-947-9438). The center’s hours of operation are
7:30 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The bus service makes stops in Baton Rouge, Gonzales, Sorrento, LaPlace, Kenner and New Orleans.

Further information      
During the Allstate Sugar Bowl and BCS National Championship Game, DOTD will coordinate with state and local police to monitor traffic and effectively respond to incidents.

Travelers can access up-to-date information about weather-related road conditions, construction activities and other critical incidents by dialing 511 from their telephone.

The voice-activated 511 Traveler Information System is available to most wireless and landline telephone users.

Out-of-state travelers can access the system by calling 1-888-ROAD-511 (1-888-762-3511). Travelers can also access this information by visiting the 511 Traveler Information System Web site at www.511la.org.
Traffic cameras for the Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Hammond/Northshore, Houma, Lake Charles, Monroe/West Monroe, New Orleans, Shreveport/Bossier and surrounding areas also may be viewed from the 511 site.
In addition to incident and lane blockage information, parking, game day routing, and congestion/travel time information will provided on the 511 site and Dynamic Message Signs (DMS) along the interstate and major routes. 

DOTD’s Customer Service Center representatives can answer questions about road closures not listed above or any other DOTD-related questions. Please call (225) 379-1232 or 1-877-4LADOTD (1-877-452-3683) with questions. The center’s business hours are 7:30 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.  
Finally, drivers are encouraged to tune in to local radio stations for current traffic and incident information prior to traveling.

Drivers who notice road hazards, such as potholes or debris in the road, are urged to call DOTD’s statewide, toll-free Highway Safety Hot Line at 1-800-259-HWAY (4929). The automated system operates 24 hours a day and routes callers to the appropriate field office to report hazardous conditions.

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www.dotd.la.gov