DOTD issues Labor Day travel advisory
Wednesday, September 01, 2010 at 11:07:31 AM

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 (Saturday, September 4, through Monday, September 6).

DOTD 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 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 Livingston Parish, I-12 eastbound and westbound between Pete's Highway and Range Road will have periodic lane closures beginning at 9 p.m. on Monday, September 6, until 5 a.m. on Tuesday, September 7.

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

Also in Livingston Parish, 4-H Club Road under I-12 will remain closed for approximately three months to widen the I-12 eastbound overpass. Detours are Bass Pro Road or Rushing Road to Range Road.

Southwest Louisiana

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

In Iberia Parish, U.S. 90 eastbound will be reduced to one lane beginning at 1 p.m. on Friday, September 3, until 8 a.m. on Saturday, September 4.

In Evangeline Parish, alternating lane closures will take place during the holiday weekend from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on U.S. 190 between Eunice and Basile. No delays are anticipated.

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

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, I-20 eastbound will be reduced to one lane from the Bienville Parish line to La. 544 (exit 84) Saturday, September 4, through Monday, September 6, 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. No delays are anticipated. On Monday, September 6, 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., I-20 westbound will be reduced to one lane from La. 594 (exit 117) to Garrett Road (exit 120).

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 H. LeBas announced today that all oversize and overweight vehicle movement on all state highways will be prohibited on Saturday, September 4, through Monday, September 6, for the Labor 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 are open to up to 12-foot-wide permit loads until further notice.

The department’s Truck Permit Office will be closed on Monday, September 6. 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 weekend schedule on Monday, September 6.

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 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, September 6.

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.

- 30 -

www.dotd.la.gov