Interstate 10 in Louisiana

Interstate 10
Route information
Maintained by Louisiana DOT
Length: 274.42 mi[1] (441.64 km)
Existed: 1939 (planned); 1957 (numbered);
ca. 1977 (completed) – present
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
East end: I-10 at Mississippi state line
Highway system

Main route of the Interstate Highway System
Main • Auxiliary • Business

Highways in Louisiana

LA 9 LA 10

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.

Contents

Route description

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).

Auxiliary routes

History

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]


Exit list

Parish Location # Destinations Notes
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)
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)
266 US 190 (Gause Boulevard)
267A I-59 north – Hattiesburg
267B I-12 west – Hammond, Baton Rouge

Future

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.

See also

References

  1. ^ Louisiana Interstate Highway Log
  2. ^ a b c Interstate System urban routes designated in September 1955
  3. ^ a b c d Richard F. Weingroff, The Second Battle of New Orleans - Vieux Carré Riverfront Expressway (I-310)
  4. ^ Proposed Interregional Highway System, 1939
  5. ^ Routes of the Recommended Interregional Highway System, ca. 1943
  6. ^ National System of Interstate Highways, August 2, 1947
  7. ^ Official Route Numbering for the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, August 14, 1957
  8. ^ Routes to Be Added to the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, October 17, 1957
  9. ^ The National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, ca. 1963
  10. ^ "6 album | Andy's Category 6 (& more) Photo Gallery | Fotki.com, photo and video sharing made easy". Public.fotki.com. 2005-07-13. http://public.fotki.com/apjung/roadgeeking/hurricane_katrina/6/. Retrieved 2011-09-19. 
  11. ^ Duvernay, Adam. New Twin Spans eastbound to open July 9. nola.com, 6 July, 2009. Retrieved July 8, 2009.
  12. ^ Kelly, John. "Old I-10 twin spans to close Wednesday". nola.com, April 6, 2010. Retrieved April 6, 2010.
  13. ^ POSTED: 7:01 pm CDT April 7, 2010 (2010-04-07). "Upgraded Twin Span Open To Commuters - Most Popular News Story - WDSU New Orleans". Wdsu.com. http://www.wdsu.com/mostpopular/23083921/detail.html. Retrieved 2011-09-19. 
  14. ^ Traffic shifts to new bridge Retrieved 11 May 2010
  15. ^ "I-10 "Joke" interchange - Google Maps". Maps.google.com. 2009-03-22. http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=30.097502,-89.90962&spn=0.016782,0.038624&z=15&msid=110314891527794254220.000465b8f9c1eda398a5c. Retrieved 2011-09-19. 
  16. ^ "Interstate 10 @ Interstate-Guide.com". Interstate Guide. http://www.interstate-guide.com/i-010.html. Retrieved 2008-02-15. 
  17. ^ I-10 road widening project spreads to I-12
  18. ^ Claiborne Avenue expressway demolition gets support in report
Interstate 10
Previous state:
Texas
Louisiana Next state:
Mississippi