DOTD Secretary Shawn Wilson says plans for a major widening of Interstate 10 through Baton Rouge will call for even more lane closures and congestion for an already-congested stretch of highway.
Wilson has been promoting the plan lately and says this painful part of the expansion simply cannot be avoided.
He says motorists should expect two lanes in each direction for about 14 months.
Wilson says the plan is to eventually have 4 lanes in both directions from the foot of the Mississippi River Bridge to Perkins Road, at the southeast end of town.
He says his department will try to make things as aggravation-free for commuters as possible; both on the interstate and on the alternate routes, by way of synchronizing traffic lights on surface streets.
Wilson says advance planning work will begin soon, with construction to begin in earnest in 2024.
He says the project is scheduled to be completed in 2027.
