Constructive relief

Traffic is the one topic pretty much every Baton Rougean feels the same way about: They want it improved.

The good news is that plenty of work is under way. The bad news is it’ll get worse before it gets better, especially during construction.

Public Works Director Peter Newkirk says the most disruptive work on parish roads is scheduled for nights and weekends whenever possible, lessening daytime delays.

“The current detour plans installed throughout the construction of several road projects … have provided minimal delays with existing traffic,” Newkirk says.

Here’s a snapshot of some of the larger projects by DPW and the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development.

Fix Siegen bottleneck

Project: Widen Siegen Lane from Perkins Road to Highland Road

Timeline: Began in May 2009; completion is set for the end of 2010.

Purpose: Widen the last remaining two-lane section of Siegen Lane (a state highway) into a boulevard between Perkins and Highland roads, complete with sidewalks. Siegen sees up to 30,000 vehicles per day, so the widening is to improve safety.

Cost: $13 million

Central Thruway

Project: Bridge improvements for the future Central Thruway from O’Neal Lane to Sullivan Road

Timeline: Began in 2006; completion of this phase is set for the end of 2010.

Purpose: To build two bridges that will become part of the Central Thruway, a four-lane road that will connect O’Neal Lane in the southeastern part of the parish with Sullivan Road to the north. “Central Thruway is a major north-and-south connector between O’Neal and Sullivan,” Newkirk says. It’s also a component of the plans to create an inner loop from the airport to LSU.

Cost: $60 million

Highland widening at Airline

Project: Widen Highland Road from Interstate 10 to Airline Highway

Timeline: Began in January; completion is set for December 2010.

Purpose: Highland Road’s high volume of traffic, around 32,000 vehicles each day, needs relief. “These improvements will help to alleviate traffic off I-10 and provide better access from I-12 to Airline Highway,” Newkirk says.

Cost: $14 million

Relieving I-10 congestion after the split

Project: I-10 widening

Timeline: Began in January; completion is set for fall 2011.

Purpose: The project focuses on increasing I-10 from four lanes to six from the 10/12 split to the Siegen Lane overpass.

Cost: $86.2 million. Funding is a combination of the state’s surplus funds from the 2007 legislative session, federal highway funds and a grant of matching funds by the U.S. Department of Transportation for states to relieve interstate congestion.

Widening accident-prone I-12

Project: I-12 widening

Timeline: Began in February 2009; completion is set for fall 2011.

Purpose: I-12 east of the city limits has seen a number of deadly accidents, and this project is to increase a stretch of I-12 from two lanes to three. In the eastbound lanes, construction starts west of the O’Neal Lane overpass and continues to east of Pete’s Highway. Westbound construction, meanwhile, stretches from west of 4H Club Road to the west side of the O’Neal Lane overpass.

Cost: $100 million. Funding comes from the state’s surplus funds granted by Gov. Bobby Jindal and the Legislature after the 2008 session.

Perkins widening

Project: Widen Perkins Road from Essen Lane to Siegen Lane

Timeline: Began in January 2007; completion is set for January 2010.

Purpose: “This road is in constant gridlock and could take 20 minutes to move a mile,” says DOTD Communications Director Mark Lambert. The road carries 25,000 vehicles a day.

Cost: $27 million