BATON ROUGE, La. – The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) today advised drivers of upcoming work schedules for interstate and major road projects throughout Louisiana for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend (Thursday, November 24 through Sunday, November 27).

DOTD Secretary Sherri H. LeBas urged drivers to use extra caution when traveling on the roadways during the upcoming holiday weekend, especially at railroad crossings.

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, all lanes of I-10, I-310, I-510 and I-610 will remain open during the holiday.

In the Slidell area, all lanes of I-10, I-12 and I-59 will remain open.

In the Hammond area, all lanes of I-12 and I-55 will remain open.

In East Baton Rouge Parish, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is performing levee work on River Road (La. 327).  As a result, River Road is closed between Ben Hur Road and Trinity Lane. The detour is Skip Bertman Drive, along Nicholson Drive (La. 30) to Gardere Lane.  Access will still be allowed to nearby Brec Farr Park Equestrian Center from River Road.

In East Baton Rouge and Livingston parishes, all lanes of I-10 and I-12 will remain open. Drivers should note the reduced speed limit within the construction zones on I-10 and I-12.

Southwest Louisiana 

In the Lafayette area, Johnston Street (U.S. 167) between Evangeline Thruway and Ambassador Caffery Parkway will have temporary northbound and southbound lane closures on November 25, from 10:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m., and November 26 and 27, from 8:00 p.m. 6:00 a.m.

In the Lake Charles area, all lanes of I-10 and I-210 will remain open to traffic.

Central Louisiana

 In the Alexandria area, all lanes of I-49 will remain open to traffic.

 In Vernon Parish near Pickering, the northbound travel lanes on U.S. 171 will be closed.  Both northbound and southbound traffic will utilize the southbound lanes.

Northeast Louisiana 

In the Monroe area, all lanes of I-20 will remain open to traffic.

In Lincoln Parish, U.S. 167 in Ruston will have one southbound lane closed from Florida Street to Georgia Avenue and one northbound lane closed from Alabama Street to Georgia Avenue.

Northwest Louisiana 

In the Shreveport-Bossier City area and surrounding parishes, all lanes of I-20, I-220 and I-49 will remain open.

Oversize/overweight vehicle movement

Secretary LeBas announced that all oversize and overweight vehicle movement on all state highways will be prohibited Thursday, November 24 and Friday, November 25.

LeBas said the decision was made in conjunction with the Louisiana Department of Public Safety’s Office of State Police to provide maximum safety for motorists traveling on state highways during this holiday.

The Department’s Truck Permit Office will be closed on Thursday, November 25 and Friday, November 25. Please call 1-800-654-1433 for information on permits. 

LA Swift Bus Service

LA Swift, the bus service that provides coach bus rides between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, will not operate on Thursday, November 24, and will run a weekend schedule on Friday, November 25.

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

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.

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. The Customer Service Center will be closed Thursday, November 24 and Friday, November 25. 

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.

-30-
www.dotd.la.gov