BATON ROUGE, La. – The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) today advises drivers of upcoming work schedules for interstate and major road projects throughout Louisiana for the Easter holiday (Friday, April 2 through Sunday, April 4). 

DOTD Interim Secretary Sherri H. LeBas urges 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.
    
In Jefferson Parish, both directions on the Huey P. Long Bridge will be reduced to one lane on Friday, April 2, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
    
Also in Jefferson Parish, the eastbound lanes of La. 48 from Williams Blvd. to the Huey P. Long Bridge will experience alternating lane closures, with one lane to remain open on Saturday, April 3, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.  Westbound lanes of La. 48 from Williams Blvd. to Huey P. Long Bridge will experience alternating lane closures with one lane to remain open from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. This closure will allow regular traffic, but all oversize vehicles must detour using U.S. 61.
    
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 East Baton Rouge and Livingston parishes, all lanes of I-10 and I-12, respectively, will remain open.

Drivers should note that the speed limit has been reduced to 50 mph within the construction zones on I-10 and I-12.


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 to two-lane, two-way traffic on the westbound roadway since the eastbound bridge over U.S. 71 has been removed.
 
In the Lake Charles area, all lanes of I-10 will remain open to traffic. I-210 will remain reduced to one lane in both directions from the I-210 bridge to Lake Street.


Central Louisiana 

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

In Rapides Parish, La. 116 will be closed to thru traffic from La. 26 East through the first intersection at Elser Field Airport. 

In Natchitoches Parish, La. 6 at the Grand Ecore Bridge will be reduced to one lane. Temporary traffic lights are in place to control the flow of traffic. Drivers may experience minor delays because of construction activity in this area.


Northeast Louisiana  

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

In Lincoln Parish, I-20 westbound will be reduced to one lane from La. 149 (exit 81) to La. 563 (exit 78). 

Also in Lincoln Parish, La. 146 is closed to thru traffic from 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. 

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.
 

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). Westbound traffic on I-220 is being detoured to the eastbound roadway between La. 173 and U.S. 71.


Oversize/overweight vehicle movement

DOTD Interim Secretary Sherri H. LeBas announced today that all oversize and overweight vehicle movement on all State highways will be prohibited on Friday through Sunday, April 2-4.
    
LeBas said the decision was made in conjunction with the Louisiana Department of Public Safety’s Office of State Police 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.
    
The department’s Weights and Standards and Truck Permit Office will be closed on Friday, April 2, 2010. Please call 1-800-654-1433 for information on permits. 


LA Swift Bus Service

LA Swift, the bus service that provides coach bus rides between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, will maintain its regular operating schedule throughout the Easter holiday weekend.
    
Schedules and further details are available at www.laswift.com and through LA Swift’s Customer Service Center at (877)-94-SWIFT (1-877-947-9438). The center’s hours of operation are 7 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
   
The bus service makes stops in Baton Rouge, Sorrento and LaPlace in addition to express service between the CATS Florida Street terminal and the Elk Place stop in New Orleans.


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. 
    
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.
    
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).     The center’s normal business hours are 7:30 a.m.  - 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. The Customer Service Center will be closed Friday, April 2.   
    
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.