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 Thanksgiving weekend (Thursday, Nov. 26, through Sunday, Nov. 29).
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 will remain open.
In St. John the Baptist Parish, a two-mile segment of I-55 southbound at Ruddock will be reduced to one lane.
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 Thanksgiving holiday 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, construction activities on Perkins Road between Bluebonnet and Essen and on O
’Neal Lane between I-12 and Florida will cease for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.
Southwest Louisiana
In the Lafayette area, all lanes of I-10 and I-49 will remain open to traffic.
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 will cease on La. 27, five miles south of DeRidder. Work will resume on Monday, Nov. 30.
Central Louisiana
In the Alexandria area, all lanes of I-49 will remain open to traffic.
Northeast Louisiana
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.
In Lincoln Parish, La. 146 is closed to thru traffic at a point approximately five miles west of U.S. 167 (Vienna) and one mile east of La. 151 (Goose Creek). The detour route is U.S. 167 North, La. 151 West, and La. 563 South.
Northwest Louisiana
In the Shreveport-Bossier City area and surrounding parishes, all lanes of I-20 and I-49 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.
Oversize/overweight vehicle movement
Secretary Ankner announced today that all oversize and overweight vehicle movement on all state highways will be prohibited on Thursday, November 26, and Friday, November 27, in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday.
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 Thanksgiving Day, November 26, and Friday, November 27.
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.
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, 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.
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 Thursday, Nov. 26, and Friday, Nov. 27.
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.