US 190 Bridge and Widening Project Nearing Completion in St. Tammany Parish
Thursday, January 15, 2026 at 11:22:01 AM
ST. TAMMANY PARISH, La. — The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) is providing an update on the US 190: US 190B to LA 437 Bridge and Widening Project, which is nearing completion in the Covington area.
Work on the project began in late 2022 and has now reached its final stages. Final permanent striping is currently being installed, and all lanes are expected to open shortly. Additional work is still planned, including installing highway signs and configuring new traffic signals. All work is weather-dependent; rain or cold temperatures may cause delays.
The $30 million project includes construction of a new bridge structure adjacent to the existing Bogue Falaya River Bridge, as well as the widening of US 190 (Collins Boulevard) from the US 190/US 190B intersection to the intersection of US 190 (Collins Boulevard) and LA 437 (Lee Road).
In addition to the new bridge, the project also features new asphalt pavement, improved drainage, new traffic signals, newly constructed highway dividers, and J-turns. These improvements are designed to enhance traffic flow and safety, with the highway dividers and J-turns proven to increase safety by reducing conflict points and limiting crashes that result in serious injuries.
The project is expected to significantly improve traffic flow in the area. Previously, traffic traveling on the three-lane section of US 190 north of I-12 was reduced to a single two-lane bridge crossing the Bogue Falaya River, creating a bottleneck that often extended up to 1.25 miles. Under the new configuration, the existing bridge has been converted to carry two eastbound/southbound lanes, while the new bridge carries westbound/northbound traffic, providing two full travel lanes in each direction across the river.
Enhancements also include expanded traffic lanes on LA 437 (Lee Road) at the Collins Boulevard intersection, which are expected to reduce queuing time for traffic on Lee Road and West 30th Avenue.
DOTD urges motorists to drive with caution through the work area as contractors complete the final phases of construction. DOTD will provide an update when traffic is shifted to the new, permanent roadway configuration.
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