Site work for I-10 widening slated to start next month

Shovels will be in the ground by the end of next month as the state begins to widen Interstate 10 from La. 415 to the I-10/I-12 split, says Shawn Wilson, secretary of the state Department of Transportation and Development.

“This is a project that we should have done probably two decades ago,” he says.

Wilson gave the Baton Rouge Press Club a rough timeline of the project today. Utilities relocations are slated to begin during the first quarter of this year, followed by the first phase of road construction next year.

By 2024, drivers will be limited to two lanes in each direction, which will last for about 14 months, Wilson says. The project could be complete with four lanes in each direction by the end of 2026 or early 2027.

As part of efforts to alleviate traffic during construction, Gov. John Bel Edwards’ administration has proposed a commuter train service from Ascension Parish to Baton Rouge. The free Amtrak service would go from Sorrento in the morning to Government Street and make two trips back in the evening.

Wilson suggests the project could be the “first phase” of the long-sought Baton Rouge-to-New-Orleans passenger rail, providing a limited “proof of concept.” He says the administration has $25 million in federal funds to help pay for the service and is requesting an additional $25 million from the Legislature, which would pay for infrastructure, operating costs and shuttle service.

State officials also are planning to offer flexible work schedules for state workers to cut down on their need to commute.

“It’s a combination of efforts,” Wilson says. “It’s not going to be any one silver bullet that’s going to resolve [the traffic congestion].”

Read a recent Business Report feature about the I-10 widening project. This story originally appeared in a Feb. 21 issue of Daily Report. To keep up with Baton Rouge business and politics, subscribe to the free Daily Report e-newsletter here.