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 Independence Day weekend (Saturday, July 3, through Monday, July 5).
DOTD Secretary Sherri 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 the Slidell area, all lanes of I-10, I-12 and I-59 will remain open.
In the Hammond area, all lanes of I-12 and I-55 will remain open.
In East Baton Rouge Parish, all lanes of I-10 will remain open.
In East Baton Rouge and Livingston parishes, I-12 eastbound between O’Neal Lane and 4-H Club Road will be reduced to one lane from 8 p.m. on Monday, July 5, until 5 a.m. on Tuesday, July 6.
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-49 will remain open to traffic. I-10 westbound between Butte La Rose and Henderson will be reduced to one lane from 8 p.m. on Monday, July 5, until 5 a.m. on Tuesday, July 6.
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 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 the Monroe area, all lanes of I-20 remain open to traffic.
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, all lanes of I-20 and I-49 will remain open to traffic.
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 Secretary Sherri LeBas announced today that all oversize and overweight vehicle movement on all state highways will be prohibited on Saturday, July 3, through Monday, July 5, for the Independence Day weekend.
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 eastbound and westbound spans of the I-10 "twin-span" bridge between Slidell and New Orleans is open to up to 12-foot-wide permit loads until further notice.
The department’s Truck Permit Office will be closed on Monday, July 5. 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 operate on its regular weekend schedule on Saturday, July 3, through Sunday, July 4, and will run its regular weekday schedule on Monday, July 5.
Schedules and further details are available at http://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, http://www.dotd.la.gov/.
Traffic cameras for the Lake Charles, Shreveport/Bossier City, Baton Rouge, Denham Springs, Walker, Lafayette, Houma, LaPlace, New Orleans, Hammond and Northshore areas also may be viewed from the 511 site.
Travelers can access up-to-date information about road conditions, construction activities and other critical incidents by dialing 511 or visiting www.511la.org. Out-of-state travelers can access the system by calling 1-888-ROAD-511 (1-888-762-3511).
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) or email DOTDCS@la.gov. The center’s business hours are 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. The Customer Service Center will be closed Monday, July 5.
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.
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http://www.dotd.la.gov/