DOTD announces expanded traffic configuration on I-12 between LA 21 and LA 1077 (St. Tammany)
Thursday, October 16, 2025 at 10:15:35 AM
St. Tammany Parish – The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) announces that contractors have opened all expanded interstate lanes between LA 21 and LA 1077 as part of the I-12: LA 21 to LA 1077 Widening Project in St. Tammany Parish.
The 3.5 miles of expanded lanes were initially expected to be completed by spring 2026, but minimal delays caused by dry weather and favorable working conditions allowed for an earlier opening. Other components of the project, including the redesign of the I-12 Westbound on-ramp at Pinnacle Parkway are ongoing and expected to be finished in the coming weeks.
This project marks the final phase of a three-part initiative to widen the I-12 corridor to a minimum of six lanes in the greater Mandeville and Covington areas. The expansion stretches from LA 59 to LA 1077, with a total investment of $170 million.
Phase three was bid in April 2023 and awarded to James Construction Group, LLC, for $56.2 million. Work included expanding lanes toward the median and resurfacing. Work has been ongoing since the summer of 2023, with most construction activity occurring overnight.
Phase one of the project widened a three-mile stretch from US 190 to LA 59 at a cost of $54.1 million and was finished in summer 2023. The project's second phase widened 3.4 miles of I-12 from US 190 to LA 21 and was completed in late 2023 at a cost of $59.1 million.
Over 100,000 vehicles travel through the I-12 greater Mandeville/Covington area each day, an increase from 81,500 in 2018 and 68,000 in 2012. DOTD anticipates that daily vehicle numbers could rise by as much as 40,000 by 2036. The expansion projects are designed to accommodate that growth.
The three-part I-12 widening project is one of three major infrastructure upgrades by DOTD in the area. The others include the $30 million US 190: US 190B to LA 437 Bridge and Widening Project and the $225 million LA 3241: I-12 to Bush New Highway Project.
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