BATON ROUGE – On Tuesday, Governor John Bel Edwards, Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development Secretary Dr. Shawn Wilson and area officials marked the beginning of a major Interstate 10 widening project in Calcasieu Parish.
The purpose of the project is to widen 10.5 miles of I-10 to six lanes from the Texas state line to east of LA 108, replace and widen 10 bridges, and replace the eastbound weigh-in-motion system.
Construction will be condensed to three segments to minimize the impact to the traveling public, and work will begin on segment one from the state line to LA 109.
“Widening this stretch of I-10 will alleviate congestion and improve safety for residents and businesses,” said Gov. John Bel Edwards. “Investing in Louisiana’s infrastructure has always been an important aspect of my administration, and the start of this project is another example of moving Louisiana forward.”
“This project will strengthen a section of a vital national corridor for the freight industry,” said Secretary Dr. Shawn D. Wilson, Ph.D. “By creating a continues six lane interstate from the state line to I-210, a more efficient transportation of goods and services is established.”
The $152 million project will increase traffic capacity and enhance travel for the transportation industry. This section of I-10 is part of the National Highway Freight Network, and over 1.6 million tons of freight are carried along the corridor each year.
“I appreciate this investment in infrastructure in Southwest Louisiana along a vital transportation corridor for not only our country, but also for communities along its path,” said Senator Mike Reese. “In order for communities in my district, like Vinton, to be able to attract and retain industry, they must be able to access I-10 and I-10 must have to capacity. Thank you to Governor Edwards and LADOTD for recognizing this importance.”
“On behalf of the residents and businesses of District 47, I am thankful to the Governor, our federal delegation, Secretary Wilson, and DOTD to see these improvements being made to our area’s transportation system”, said Representative Ryan Bourriaque. “This area was impacted by storm events from August 2016 through today which reinforced the necessity to have reliable infrastructure options for this region.”
“Southwest Louisiana has been through a lot this year, and we continue with the recovery process. We are very resilient here, and major infrastructure improvements like these send a strong message to our communities and to the people of Louisiana that we are working hard to build back stronger and better than ever, and that we will remain one of the beautiful gateways to Louisiana,” said Calcasieu Police Jury President Tony Guillory.
The entire project, awarded to Johnson Brothers Corporation, is anticipated to be complete in 2025, with progress dependent on weather conditions.