BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Interstate 10 in Louisiana's capital city has been narrowed for westbound motorists as part of ongoing construction work, sparking periodic traffic backups on a stretch of highway already clogged with motorists.
But Shawn Wilson, state transportation secretary, told The Advocate that the sudden squeeze from three lanes to two near the I-10/I-12 split is a temporary measure linked to the $52 million overhaul of a major interstate exit in the area at College Drive. Wilson called it a “temporary pinch point.”
The project will make it easier for westbound motorists to exit without having to cross multiple lanes of traffic, including those merging onto I-10 from I-12. About 17,000 cars and trucks use the exit daily.
Exactly how long the short stretch of I-10 will be trimmed to two lanes is unclear.
“You will not be pared down to two lanes for very long,” Wilson said.
The exit lane work is set to be completed by the end of 2022, part of the widening of I-10 between La. Hwy. 415 in West Baton Rouge Parish and the I-10/I-12 split.