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 Labor Day weekend (Friday, August 29, through Monday, September 1).

DOTD Secretary William D. Ankner, Ph.D., 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.

In the New Orleans area, all lanes of I-10, I-310, I-510 and I-610 will remain open during the holiday weekend.

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

Also in the Slidell area, construction continues on I-10 at its intersection with U.S. 190 (Fremeaux interchange). Drivers may experience delays because of an eastbound lane closure and a westbound lane closure at the Fremeaux interchange. Two lanes will remain open to traffic in each direction.

In the Hammond area and surrounding parishes, all lanes of I-10, I-12 and I-55 will remain open.

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

Also in the Baton Rouge area, there will be no construction on La. 427 (Perkins Road) between Essen Lane and Siegen Lane for the holiday weekend.

In the Lafayette area, all lanes of I-10 and I-49 will remain open to traffic.

In Acadia Parish, La. 13 north of Crowley is closed to traffic due to construction on the Bayou Plaquemine Bridge. Traffic will be detoured via La. 1121, I-10 North Frontage Road and La. 13.

Also in Acadia Parish, La. 13 and U.S. 90 will have closures due to the historic Parkerson Avenue redevelopment project in Crowley. La. 13 will be closed intermittently in the downtown area and U.S. 90 will be closed to traffic between La. 13 and Western Avenue. Traffic will be detoured via La. 13, Mill Street and Western Avenue.

In St. Landry Parish, U.S. 190 over U.S. 71 is reduced from four lanes to two-lane, two-way traffic onto the eastbound roadway since the westbound Atchafalaya River Bridge has been removed. Traffic on U.S. 71, under the bridge, has been reduced to one-lane, one-way traffic controlled by a signal light.

In the Lake Charles area, I-210 will remain open to traffic.

Also in the Lake Charles area, construction on I-10 will cease, opening all four lanes to traffic, from Saturday at midnight to Tuesday at midnight.

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

In Rapides Parish, one lane of U.S. 167 North at U.S. 165 will remain closed.

In Avoyelles Parish, La. 114 at the Bayou DesGlaises Diversion Canal is closed to traffic. Drivers will be detoured via La. 114, La. 1186 and La. 1.

Also in Avoyelles Parish, La. 29 is closed to traffic from La. 106 to La. 1176. Drivers will be detoured via I-49 and La. 115.
In Natchitoches Parish, the La. 6 Grand Ecore Bridge will be reduced to a 30 mph speed limit with weight restrictions of 25- 40 tons.

In the Monroe area, all lanes of I-20 will remain open; however, the westbound exit ramp (Exit 101–La. 151/Calhoun/Downsville) is closed. No delays have been reported due to this ramp closure.

Also in the Monroe area, construction continues on the Lea Joyner/Louisville Avenue Bridge on U.S. 80. No delays are expected.

In Madison Parish, there will be intermittent lane closures on U.S. 80 from Mounds to Tallulah. No delays are expected.

In Caldwell Parish, construction continues on sections of U.S. 165 through the towns of Grayson and Columbia. Drivers may experience some minor delays and short detours because of construction activity in this area.

In Franklin and Tensas parishes, construction continues on the Tensas River Bridge on La. 4 at the Tensas and Franklin parish line. No delays are expected.

In Catahoula and Concordia parishes, construction continues on U.S. 84 in the Jonesville area. Drivers may experience minor delays because of construction activity in this area.

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

In Caddo Parish, I-220 will be restricted to one-lane traffic in each direction between Exit 5 (La. 173/Blanchard Road) and Exit 7 (U.S. 171/North Market Street). Drivers may experience minor delays because of construction activity in this area.
Also, drivers should be advised that the eastbound I-20 Welcome Center near the Texas state line is closed for reconstruction.

Secretary Ankner announced today that all oversize and overweight vehicle movement on all state highways will be prohibited Saturday, August 30, through Monday, September 1, for the Labor Day holiday weekend.

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

In addition, both spans of the I-10 "twin-span" bridge between Slidell and New Orleans are closed to all oversize and overweight permit loads until further notice. Because the temporary panels used to repair

the westbound span are taking a pounding from speeders, especially overweight and speeding trucks, state troopers and Weights and Standard officers assigned to the Louisiana State Police Transportation Environmental Safety Section (TESS) have stepped up traffic enforcement.

The weight limit for 18-wheelers traveling westbound is 70,000 pounds. Loads weighing more than 70,000 pounds but less than 90,000 pounds can use the Causeway Bridge as an alternate route. All other loads can use I-55. The weight limit eastbound is 80,000 pounds.

DOTD’s Weights and Standards and Truck Permit Office will be closed Monday, September 1. Please call 1-800-654-1433 for more information on permits.

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. Drivers calling from outside of the state can access Louisiana’s 511 Traveler Information Service by calling 888-ROAD-511 (888-762-3511). Travelers can also access this information by visiting the 511 Traveler Information System Web site at www.511la.org.

More detailed information on the status of DOTD construction projects and road closures may be obtained via the Traveler Information link from DOTD’s Web site, www.dotd.la.gov.

Traffic cameras for the Baton Rouge, Lafayette, LaPlace, Lake Charles, New Orleans and Shreveport/Bossier areas also may be viewed from that site.

In addition, DOTD’s Customer Service Center representatives can answer questions regarding 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 normal business hours are 7 a.m.- 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. The Customer Service Center will be closed Monday, September 1.

Finally, drivers are encouraged to tune in to local radio stations for current traffic and accident 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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