BATON ROUGE – Today, Governor Bobby Jindal joined Department of Transportation and Development Secretary William Ankner, State Representative Erich Ponti, State Representative Steve Carter and East Baton Rouge Parish Chief Administrative Officer Michael Futrell to officially break ground on a project to widen a four-mile stretch of I-10 in Baton Rouge. More than 90,000 drivers travel this stretch of I-10 each day and the widening will significantly reduce congestion.

Governor Jindal said, "This is an important transportation need because of the congestion problems in this area and these new lanes will provide relief to drivers, while boosting economic growth in this region, and ensuring a safer and more efficient flow of commerce in Louisiana and to other states."

The $86.2 million project will widen I-10 from four lanes to six lanes from the I-10/I-12 split to just past Siegen Lane. The project will also replace overpasses at Essen Lane and Ward Creek. Lane closures will occur only at nights and weekends and construction is scheduled to be completed by 2011.

The project is funded with state and federal highway funds, including a grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s "Corridors of the Future" program. I-10 was selected as one of six federal "Corridors of the Future," an initiative designed to relieve interstate congestion and the selection.