KENNER, La. (WGNO) — Over the weekend, the Louisiana Department of Transportation completed phase three of the $125.6 million Interstate 10 Loyola Drive interchange project.
Crews completed the new diverging diamond in Kenner at the intersection of Loyola Drive and the Interstate 10 interchange.
According to the DOTD, the new design is made to improve traffic flow and safety by eliminating the need for left turn signals at that interchange. There are currently around 150 in the U.S., but it will be the first of its kind to open in Louisiana.
With work on the new traffic pattern now in progress, crews say it’s just a matter of time until residents see the benefits.
“The studies that have come back on these say overall it lowers accidents by 50%. It’s also going to lower your delays if you’re driving up to 60%, and it’s going to move 30% more traffic through an area,” said Daniel Gitlin with the DOTD.
“The idea is when you have an intersection where the majority of people are turning left, instead of going straight, you can help avoid conflict zones by switching them to the other side through the intersection. You may not love it at first, it may throw you off, but pretty soon you’re not going to be able to live without it because it’s going to make the ability of going through an intersection. You’re going to feel safer,” said Gitlin.
Construction in the area will continue for several months but shouldn’t significantly affect traffic flow. Completion of the project is expected around spring of next year.
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