Plans for a major widening of Interstate 10 through Baton Rouge call for even more lane closures and congestion for an already-congested stretch of highway. DOTD Secretary Shawn Wilson says motorists will have to endure a long period of lane closures through the construction zone. He says it simply cannot be avoided, ” that is the impact of saving time and money, and providing certainty to citizens where you will have two lanes in each direction for about 14 months.”
Wilson says the plan is to eventually have 4 lanes in both directions – east and west – from the foot of the Mississippi River Bridge to Perkins Road, at the southeast end of town. He says the overall plan is to make things as aggravation-free for commuters as possible; both on the interstate and on the alternate routes, by way of synchronizing traffic lights on surface streets.
Wilson says advance planning work on widening I-10 through Baton Rouge will begin soon, with construction to begin in earnest in 2024. He says the project is scheduled to be completed in 2027. In the meantime, he says DOTD is advancing plans to offer commuters in Ascension Parish the option of a commuter train with park-and-ride, “It does two things. One – it reduces congestion and guarantees arrival at a certain time, and then Two – it also sensitizes that community to the value of transit, as opposed to relying on their vehicle.”
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