DOTD issues travel advisory for Mardi Gras holidays
Thursday, February 27, 2014 at 1:15:38 PM
BATON ROUGE, La. – The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development today advised drivers of upcoming work schedules for interstate and major road projects throughout Louisiana during the Mardi Gras holiday from Friday, February 28, to Tuesday, March 4.

DOTD Secretary Sherri H. LeBas said, "Our department would like to remind motorists to engage in safe driving practices by obeying all traffic laws. This means paying attention to posted speed limits, specifically in construction zones, wearing your seatbelt and refraining from drinking while driving."

Below is the regional listing of work schedules and road closures for interstate construction and major road projects.

Southeast Louisiana

The following will remain open to traffic:

In the New Orleans area, all lanes of I-10, I-310, I-510 and I-610.
In St. Tammany Parish, all lanes of I-59, I-10, and I-12.
In the Hammond area, all lanes of I-12 and I-55.
In East Baton Rouge Parish, all lanes of I-10, I-12 and I-110.
In Livingston Parish, all lanes of I-12.
The following will have alternating lane closures:

In Livingston Parish, on U.S. 190 from La. 63 to the Tangipahoa Parish line.
In Tangipahoa Parish, U.S. 190 between La. 445 and the St. Tammany Parish line will have alternating lane closures on Monday, March 3. U.S. 51 between La. 10 and La. 38 will have alternating lane closures on Friday, February 28.

Southwest Louisiana

The following will remain open to traffic:

In the Lafayette area, all lanes of I-10 and I-49.
In the Lake Charles area, all lanes of I-10 and I-210.
The following will have alternating lane closures or will be closed to traffic:

In Acadia Parish, La. 35 between La. 1102 and Dr. Parrot Avenue will be closed to traffic.
In St. Landry Parish, the Grand Prairie rest area located on I-49 is closed to travelers while undergoing renovations.
In St. Martin Parish, La. 352 between Henderson and Herman Dupuis Road will be reduced to one lane for construction work.
In Vermillion Parish, La. 35 between La. 82 and La. 335 will remain closed to traffic.

Central Louisiana

There are no closures planned for Avoyelles, Grant, Natchitoches, Rapides, Sabine, Vernon and Winn parishes.

Northeast Louisiana

The following will remain open to traffic:

In the Monroe area, all lanes of I-20 will remain open to traffic and there will be no lane closures on major routes in the area.
The following areas may experience traffic delays due to construction:

In Caldwell Parish, construction is underway on La. 847, between the intersection of U.S. 165 and La. 133.
In Franklin Parish, construction is underway on La. 863, between the intersection of La. 4 and La. 578.
Northwest Louisiana

There will be alternating lane closures at various locations along I-20 in Bossier, Bienville and Webster parishes, with only one lane closed at a time.

Oversize/overweight vehicle movement

Secretary LeBas announced that all oversize and overweight vehicle movement on all state highways will be prohibited in New Orleans, Lafayette, Houma, and New Roads on Saturday, March 1, through Tuesday, March 4. Specifically, the restricted areas include:

Orleans, Jefferson and St. Bernard parishes (including the interstates)
Within the city limits of Lafayette, with the exception of I-10
Within the city limits and surrounding area of New Roads
Within the city limits and surrounding area of Houma
Within the city limits and surrounding area of Lake Charles, with the exception of I-10 and I-210

LeBas said the decision was made in conjunction with the Louisiana Department of Public Safety, Office of State Police, to provide maximum safety for motorists traveling during the holidays.

The Truck Permit Office will remain open Monday, March 3, and Tuesday, March 4, to issue permits outside of the restricted areas. Please call 1-800-654-1433 for information on permits.

Further information

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.

Traffic cameras for the Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Hammond/Northshore, Houma, Lake Charles, Monroe/West Monroe, New Orleans, Shreveport/Bossier and surrounding areas also may be viewed from the 511 site.

Additionally, motorists can utilize the new "Way to Geaux" application to receive real-time, around the clock travel alerts. The hands-free, eyes-free smartphone application can be downloaded on any iPhone or Android device by visiting either the iTunes App Store, or Google Play. 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 business hours are 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. The Customer Service Center will be closed Tuesday, March 4.

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.