MANDEVILLE, LA — Construction on the Hwy 59 roundabout at Sharp Road began nearly a year ago. Now, it’s ready for traffic.
The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development plans to open the new roundabout to traffic at about 8:00 tonight, May 24. LADOTD workers warn that the process of diverting traffic to the roundabout from the detour lanes that circumvent it is expected to take about 30 minutes and will result in heavy traffic delays during that time.
The roundabout cost about $2 million and is just the latest of its kind on the North Shore. LADOTD workers say that the roundabouts keep traffic moving smoothly and are safer than traditional intersections. Also, with greater opportunities for landscaping, they look nicer.
The Hwy 59 roundabout is not finished, and some of the remaining work will require lane closures. But traffic will not return to the detour lanes surrounding the area. Instead, the state says much of the work can be done during non-peak traffic hours and at night.
The remaining work includes the addition of more asphalt, striping, curb drainage and landscaping. State workers expect the remaining tasks to be completed by this summer, as long as there are no significant delays caused by the weather.
