SLIDELL, La. — Two traffic shifts are planned in the coming weeks for the $800 million Twin Span Bridge replacement project.  Interstate 10 eastbound drivers currently use a combination of the new east and westbound bridges to cross Lake Pontchartrain, while westbound drivers are traveling on the old eastbound bridge. 

On Friday, March 12, construction crews are scheduled to transition eastbound traffic entirely to the new eastbound bridge. Work will begin during the pre-dawn hours and continue throughout the day. Eastbound drivers will encounter intermittent and alternating lane closures on both the south and north shores of the bridge, along with the potential for increased traffic congestion and travel delays. 

Westbound drivers will be moved off the old bridge in a separate traffic shift planned for late March or early April.  Once the new traffic alignment is fully implemented, east and westbound drivers will share the new eastbound approaches. The approaches will accommodate two lanes of traffic in each direction, while the mainline sections of the new bridges will feature three travel lanes in each direction.

The temporary sharing of the eastbound approaches is necessary because the ends of the old bridge are within the "footprint" of the new westbound approaches. These portions of the old bridge must be demolished and removed before the new westbound approaches can be constructed and the project completed.  

The Twin Span Bridge construction project remains on schedule for completion by mid-2011. 

Construction activities are dependent on weather conditions and may be re-scheduled in the event of inclement weather. For more information on the project, please visit www.TwinSpanBridge.com.