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, Sept. 4, through Monday, Sept. 7).

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.

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 weekend.

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

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

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

Construction on I-12 will be suspended between O’Neal Lane in Baton Rouge and Range Avenue in Denham Springs for the Labor Day weekend. Drivers should note that the speed limit has been reduced to 45 miles per hour within the construction zone on I-12.

Also in the Baton Rouge area, traffic will remain restricted at the intersection of Perkins and Bluebonnet to one through-lane and a left-turn lane in each direction.

Southwest Louisiana

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

In Acadia Parish, La. 13 northbound will remain closed from U.S. 90 to the Acadia Parish Courthouse Circle. Traffic will be detoured via U.S. 90 and La. 1111.

Also in Acadia Parish, La. 97 will remain closed from La. 100 to La. 98. Traffic is being detoured via La. 98, La. 91 and La. 100.

In St. Landry Parish, U.S. 190 over U.S. 71 will remain reduced from four lanes to two lanes just west of Krotz Springs due to construction on the U.S. 190 Bridge.

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

In Beauregard Parish, construction continues on La. 27, five miles south of DeRidder. Drivers should expect minor delays.

Central Louisiana

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

Northeast Louisiana

In Caldwell Parish, construction will continue on sections of U.S. 165 through the towns of Grayson and Columbia. No delays are expected.

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

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

Northwest Louisiana

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

In Caddo Parish, I-220 will remain reduced to one lane of traffic in each direction between La. 173 (exit 5) and U.S. 71 (exit 7). Eastbound traffic on I-220 is being detoured to the westbound roadway between La. 173 and U.S. 71.

Also in Caddo Parish, I-49 southbound is reduced to one lane of traffic from La. 3132 to La. 526 (Bert Kouns Industrial Loop).

In addition, the eastbound I-20 Welcome Center near the Texas state line will remain closed for reconstruction.

Oversize/overweight vehicle movement

Secretary Ankner announced today that all oversize and overweight vehicle movement on all state highways will be prohibited on Saturday, Sept. 5, Sunday, Sept. 6, and Monday, Sept. 7, in observance of Labor Day.

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 this holiday.

In addition, the westbound span of the I-10 “twin-span” bridge between Slidell and New Orleans is open to up to 12-foot permit loads until further notice. The weight limit for 18-wheelers traveling westbound is 80,000 pounds. The eastbound span is open to all loads.  All other loads can use I-55.

DOTD’s Weights and Standards Office and Truck Permit Office will be closed on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 7.

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 http://www.511la.org/.

Further information

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, http://www.dotd.la.gov/.

Traffic cameras for the Baton Rouge, Denham Springs, Walker, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Shreveport/Bossier City, Houma, LaPlace and New Orleans areas also may be viewed from the 511 site.

In addition, 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 normal business hours are 7 a.m. - 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. The Customer Service Center will be closed Monday, Sept. 7.

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.