I-10 Slowdowns – What Louisiana Drivers Need to Know This Weekend

As roadways go there is no stretch of road in Louisiana that is more important and more infuriating than Interstate 10. Drivers from Vinton, Louisiana in the west to the Pearl River exits in the eastern part of Louisiana know that driving on I-10 can be the ultimate love/hate relationship.

Depending on where you're driving in Louisiana I-10 could see as many as 126,000 travelers a day in the Greater New Orleans area, 95,000 travelers per day in the Baton Rouge area. That same figure, approximately 95,000 travelers also applies to traffic counts on I-10 in the Lafayette and Lake Charles area as well.

There are three things that create issues on I-10 for motorists passing through Louisiana. One of those things is the weather. We could see some heavy showers and storms across the I-10  corridor especially Saturday and perhaps on Sunday. As a motorist there's not much you can do about weather other than be aware of the forecast.

The second issue that motorists encounter while driving on I-10 is crashes. Those can't be predicted so it's not something you can plan for. But, you do know there are bottlenecks built into your travels on I-10 along the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge, the Mississippi River Bridge in Baton Rouge, and the Calcasieu River Bridge in Lake Charles.

You've probably figured out the third pain in the driver's seat for anyone who has to travel I-10 in Louisiana is construction.  I know there is ongoing construction between the Texas State Line and Sulphur, Louisiana, that will slow down travelers in both directions this weekend.

There is also construction near the US 165 Exit near Iowa, Louisiana. A new overpass is being constructed and that has traffic shifting lanes but isn't usually a major slowdown. You'll also find ramp construction at the Crowley Exits to LA-13, this could lead to a slowdown in that area as well.

Perhaps the most frustrating bit of I-10 construction that could pose a problem for Louisiana drivers won't actually happen in Louisiana. Motorists who are traveling eastbound to or through the Mississippi Gulf Coast will encounter more delays in Hancock County near Diamondhead.

The construction across the Mississippi Gulf Coast is part of an interstate widening project and there is a new overpass being constructed in Harrison County at the exit that will serve the new Buc-ee's Travel Center.

According to reports the Menge Avenue issue, that's the Buc-ee's overpass, should be completed by Thanksgiving. The widening project will likely continue in Mississippi through 2027. That project seeks to increase the interstate from four lanes to six lanes between Diamondhead and County Farm Road.

Granted most of the work will be done during off hours or at night, but lane closures and crashes could certainly affect traffic in the area during the daylight hours as well. For information on I-10 in Louisiana, click this link. If you'd like to know why the interstate is moving slow in Mississippi, click this link.  

Please drive safely.