Interstate 10 | ||||
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Route information | ||||
Maintained by Louisiana DOT | ||||
Length: | 274.42 mi[1] (441.64 km) | |||
Existed: | 1939 (planned); 1957 (numbered); ca. 1977 (completed) – present |
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Major junctions | ||||
West end: | I-10 / US 90 at Texas state line | |||
I-49 in Lafayette I-12 in Baton Rouge I-55 near LaPlace US 90 / US 90 Bus. in New Orleans I-12 / I-59 near Slidell |
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East end: | I-10 at Mississippi state line | |||
Highway system | ||||
Main route of the Interstate Highway System
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Interstate 10, a major transcontinental Interstate Highway in the Southern U.S., runs across the southern part of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It passes through Lake Charles, Lafayette and Baton Rouge before dipping south of Lake Pontchartrain to serve the New Orleans area and then passing through Slidell before leaving the state.
In August 2005, the I-10 Twin Span Bridge was severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina, rendering it unusable. Initially, the bridge was repaired through a $30.9 million contract with Boh Brothers Construction Company. However, Louisiana has since replaced the bridge with two higher elevation spans in 2009 and 2010.
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From Texas to Lafayette, I-10 parallels the older U.S. Route 90 corridor. From Lafayette, the highway heads east-northeast toward Baton Rouge via the Atchafalaya Swamp Freeway, an 18.2-mile (nearly 30 km) bridge across the Atchafalaya River and its accompanying swamp. Between the two cities, I-10 parallels U.S. Route 190, which runs from Opelousas to Baton Rouge. This route has signs and is designated as an alternate I-10 by-pass that runs from I-10/I-49 north to U.S. 190(exit 19B at Opelousas) then east across to Baton Rouge and back down to I-10 via I-110 south. Traffic can be diverted both ways along this route should there be the necessity to close I-10 across the Atchafalaya Swamp Freeway and is also used as a hurricane evacuation route.
In the Capital City, U.S. 190 continues east alongside Interstate 12 to Hammond and Slidell while I-10 turns southeastward and parallels U.S. Route 61 (Airline Highway) to New Orleans. In the Crescent City, I-10 rejoins U.S. 90 (and later U.S. Route 11) as it heads toward Slidell. In Slidell, U.S. 11 continues northeastward toward Hattiesburg, Mississippi while I-10 and U.S. 90 turn eastward toward coastal Mississippi.
Major bridges on I-10 in Louisiana include the Sabine River bridge (ca. 1952, replaced 2003), the Lake Charles I-10 Bridge (1952), the Atchafalaya Swamp Freeway (1973), the Horace Wilkinson Bridge over the Mississippi River (1968), the Bonnet Carré Spillway bridge (ca. 1972), the Industrial Canal Bridge (ca. 1960), the Twin Spans (1965), and the Pearl River bridge (ca. 1970).
By the beginning of planning for the Interstate Highway System in 1939 (then called the Interregional Highway System), the Houston-New Orleans-Mobile corridor was part of the system. Preliminary plans took it along U.S. 90 all the way through Louisiana, serving Lake Charles and Lafayette but not Baton Rouge.[4] By ca. 1943, it had been shifted to the north west of New Orleans, using the Louisiana Highway 12, U.S. 190 and U.S. 61 corridors, and serving Baton Rouge but not Lake Charles or Lafayette.[5] The 1947 plan shifted it to roughly the current alignment, including the long stretch of new corridor across the Atchafalaya Swamp.[6] The corridor was assigned the Interstate 10 designation in mid-1957.[7]
Prior to the gaining of federal funding for the Interstate System in the late 1950s, a toll road - the Acadian Thruway had been proposed between Lafayette and a point near Gramercy on Airline Highway (U.S. 61). This would have provided a shorter route than I-10, bypassing Baton Rouge to the south. The Gramercy Bridge was later built along its planned alignment, with Louisiana Highway 3125 connecting to Gramercy, but no road extends west from the bridge across the Atchafalaya Swamp to Lafayette.
Interstate 12, serving as a bypass of New Orleans around the north side of Lake Pontchartrain, was not added until October 17, 1957. At the time, I-10 and Interstate 59 split in eastern New Orleans, with I-59 following present I-10 and I-10 following the U.S. 90 corridor into Mississippi, and so I-12 only ran to I-59 north of Slidell.[8] By the mid-1960s, the routes had been realigned to their current configuration, with I-12 and I-59 both ending at I-10 near Slidell.[9]
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the I-10 Twin Span Bridge, a portion of I-10 between New Orleans and Slidell spanning the eastern end of Lake Pontchartrain, was severely damaged, causing a break in I-10 at that point. Unlike the Escambia Bay Bridge (east of Pensacola, Florida and damaged by Hurricane Ivan) which is a major artery, Interstate 12 is available to bypass New Orleans and taking I-12 to the Lake Ponchartrain Causeway allowed entry and exit to and from the Greater New Orleans area from the East. On October 14, 2005 at 3:00 PM, the eastbound span was reopened to two way traffic. On January 6, 2006 at 6:00 AM, both lanes of the westbound span were reopened to traffic using temporary metal trusses and road panels to replace damaged sections.[10] This restored all four lanes of the I-10 twin spans for normal traffic with a 45 mph (70 km/h) speed limit for the westbound lanes and 60 mph (100 km/h) for the eastbound lanes. Oversized and overweight traffic was prohibited until a new permanent six lane span replaced the two temporarily repaired spans. The eastbound span opened to traffic on July 9, 2009, and the westbound span opened on April 7, 2010, with the old bridge being permanently closed.[11][12] The approaches to the westbound lanes are still to be completed and the old Twin Spans will be demolished in the near future.[13][14]
Parish | Location | # | Destinations | Notes |
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Calcasieu | 1 | Sabine River Turnaround | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance | |
4 | US 90 east / LA 109 – Toomey, Starks | East end of US 90 overlap | ||
7 | LA 3063 – Vinton | |||
8 | LA 108 – Vinton | |||
Sulphur | 20 | LA 1256 – Sulphur, Cameron | ||
21 | LA 27 (Beglis Parkway) – DeQuincy | |||
23 | LA 108 (Industries) – Sulphur | |||
25 | I-210 east (Lake Charles Loop) | |||
26 | US 90 west / PPG Drive, Trousdale Road | West end of US 90 overlap | ||
27 | LA 378 – Westlake | |||
Bridge over Lake Charles (Calcasieu River) | ||||
Lake Charles | 29 | LA 385 – Downtown Lake Charles | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance | |
30A | To LA 385 / North Lakeshore Drive | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance | ||
30B | Ryan Street – Downtown Lake Charles | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance | ||
31A | US 90 Bus. east (Enterprise Boulevard) |
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31B | Shattuck Street | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance | ||
31B | US 90 east to LA 14 | East end of US 90 overlap; eastbound exit and westbound entrance | ||
32 | Opelousas Street | |||
33 | US 171 north – DeRidder, Shreveport | |||
33 | LA 14 – Cameron | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance | ||
34 | I-210 west (Loop) | |||
36 | LA 397 – Creole, Cameron | |||
43 | LA 383 – Iowa | |||
Jefferson Davis | 44 | US 165 – Alexandria | ||
48 | LA 101 – Lacassine | |||
54 | LA 99 – Welsh | |||
59 | LA 395 – Roanoke | |||
64 | LA 26 – Elton, Jennings | |||
65 | LA 97 – Evangeline, Jennings | |||
Acadia | 72 | Trumps Road –Egan | ||
76 | LA 91 – Iota, Estherwood | |||
80 | LA 13 – Eunice, Crowley | |||
82 | LA 1111 – East Crowley | |||
87 | LA 35 / LA 98 – Church Point, Rayne | |||
92 | LA 95 – Mire, Duson | |||
Lafayette | 97 | LA 93 – Cankton, Scott | ||
Lafayette | 100 | LA 3184 (Ambassador Caffery Parkway) | ||
101 | LA 182 (North University Avenue) | |||
103 | I-49 north / US 167 to US 90 – Opelousas, Morgan City | Signed as exits 103A (south) and 103B (north) | ||
104 | Louisiana Avenue, Johnston Street | |||
Saint Martin | 109 | LA 328 – Breaux Bridge | ||
115 | LA 347 – Cecilia, Henderson | |||
121 | Butte La Rose (LA 3177) | |||
Iberville | 127 | LA 975 – Whiskey Bay | ||
135 | LA 3000 – Ramah, Maringouin | |||
139 | LA 77 – Rosedale, Grosse Tete | |||
West Baton Rouge | 151 | LA 415 to US 190 – Lobdell | ||
153 | LA 1 – Port Allen, Plaquemine | |||
Horace Wilkinson Bridge over the Mississippi River | ||||
East Baton Rouge | ||||
Baton Rouge | 155A | LA 30 (Nicholson Drive) / Highland Road – LSU | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance | |
155B | I-110 north – Downtown Baton Rouge, Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport | Signed as exit 155 westbound | ||
156C | Louise Street | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance | ||
156A | Washington Street | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance | ||
156B | Dalrymple Drive – LSU | No eastbound entrance | ||
157A | Perkins Road | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance | ||
157B | LA 427 (Acadian Thruway) – LSU | Signed as exit 157 westbound | ||
158 | College Drive | |||
159 | I-12 east – Hammond | |||
160 | LA 3064 (Essen Lane) | |||
162 | LA 1248 (Bluebonnet Boulevard) / Mall of Louisiana Boulevard | Signed as exits 162A (LA 1248) and 162B (Mall of Louisiana Boulevard) | ||
163 | LA 3246 (Siegen Lane) | |||
166 | LA 42 (Highland Road) / LA 427 (Perkins Road) | |||
Ascension | 173 | LA 73 – Prairieville, Geismar | ||
Gonzales | 177 | LA 30 – Gonzales, St. Gabriel | ||
179 | LA 44 – Gonzales, Burnside | |||
182 | LA 22 – Sorrento, Donaldsonville | |||
187 | US 61 – Gramercy, Sorrento | |||
Saint James | 194 | LA 641 south – Gramercy, Lutcher | ||
St. John the Baptist | 206 | LA 3188 south – LaPlace | ||
209 | US 51 – LaPlace, Hammond | |||
210 | I-55 north / US 51 north – Hammond | Eastbound exit is via exit 209 | ||
Saint Charles | 220 | I-310 south – Boutte, Houma | ||
Jefferson | Kenner | 221 | Loyola Drive | |
223 | LA 49 (Williams Boulevard) / 32nd Street – New Orleans International Airport | Signed as exits 223A (LA 49) and 223B (Airport) westbound | ||
Metairie | 224 | Power Boulevard | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance | |
225 | Veterans Boulevard | |||
226 | Clearview Parkway – Huey Long Bridge | |||
228 | Causeway Boulevard – Mandeville | |||
229 | Bonnabel Boulevard | Eastbound exit is via exit 228 | ||
230 | I-610 east – Slidell | No westbound exit | ||
Orleans | New Orleans | 231B | Florida Boulevard, West End Boulevard | Eastbound exit is via exit 230 |
231A | City Park Avenue, Metairie Road | Signed as exit 231 westbound | ||
232 | US 61 (Airline Drive, Tulane Avenue) / Carrollton Avenue | |||
234A | US 90 (Claiborne Avenue) / US 90 Bus. west – Superdome, Westbank |
Eastbound exit and westbound entrance | ||
234B | Poydras Street – Superdome | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance | ||
234C | US 90 west (Claiborne Avenue) / US 90 Bus. west – Westbank |
Westbound exit and eastbound entrance | ||
235B | Canal Street – Superdome | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance | ||
235A | Orleans Avenue – Vieux Carre | |||
236A | Esplanade Avenue | Eastbound exit only | ||
236B | LA 39 (North Claiborne Avenue) | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance | ||
236C | St. Bernard Avenue | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance | ||
237 | LA 3021 (Elysian Fields Avenue) | |||
238B | I-610 west – Baton Rouge, New Orleans International Airport | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance | ||
238A | Franklin Avenue | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance | ||
239 | Louisa Street, Almonaster Boulevard | Signed as exits 239A (south/east) and 239B (north/west) eastbound | ||
I-10 High Rise Bridge over the Inner Harbor Navigational Canal | ||||
240A | Downman Road | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance | ||
240B | US 90 (Chef Highway) | Signed as exit 240 westbound | ||
241 | Morrison Road | |||
242 | Crowder Boulevard | |||
244 | Read Boulevard | |||
245 | Bullard Avenue | |||
246 | I-510 south / LA 47 – Chalmette, Little Woods | Signed as exits 246A (south) and 246B (north) | ||
248 | Michoud Boulevard | |||
249 | Unsigned exit that leads to nothing[15] | Exit closed | ||
251 | Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge | Exit closed; construction traffic only | ||
254 | US 11 – Irish Bayou, North Shore | |||
I-10 Twin Span Bridge over Lake Pontchartrain | ||||
Saint Tammany | 261 | Lakeshore — Oak Harbor | ||
Slidell | 263 | LA 433 (Old Spanish Trail) | ||
265 | US 190 Bus. (Fremaux Avenue) |
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266 | US 190 (Gause Boulevard) | |||
267A | I-59 north – Hattiesburg | |||
267B | I-12 west – Hammond, Baton Rouge |
A three-year construction project is currently underway on Interstate 10 between Causeway Boulevard and the 17th Street Canal in Metairie, Louisiana. The $68.9 million project will add new lanes in both directions and improve the exit and entrance ramps at Causeway and Bonnabel Blvd. The state has recently completed a widening project between Causeway and Clearview Pkwy and between the I-10/I-610 split and Airline Highway (US 61).[16]
A 950-day project is set to begin at the end of 2008 between the I-10 / I-12 split (Exit 159) in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to Siegen Lane (Exit 163) in Baton Rouge, LA. This will widen the road by an additional lane in each direction.[17]
There are also calls to remove the I-10 Claiborne Expressway in New Orleans and rename I-610 to I-10.[18] The entire length of the Pontchartrain Expressway would likely be renamed as I-910 or I-49.
Interstate 10 | ||
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Previous state: Texas |
Louisiana | Next state: Mississippi |
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