Workers replaced the railing and a section of the deck on the I-10 East Pearl River Bridge. Photo: Courtesy of Mississippi Department of Transportation
The Interstate 10 bridge at the Louisiana-Mississippi state line fully reopened Friday, officials say, ending a project that was causing miles of delays heading to New Orleans.
- The project, which was originally scheduled to be finished by Aug. 11, wrapped up three weeks early.
Why it matters: I-10 is the main corridor through south Louisiana and connects New Orleans with popular beach destinations in Florida and Alabama. It's also an important hurricane evacuation route.
State of play: Delays were averaging about an hour on weekends, causing drivers to look for detours.
Catch up quick: The westbound lanes of the East Pearl River Bridge needed to be repaired after a fiery crash earlier this year, according to the Mississippi Department of Transportation.
- The damaged concrete railing was replaced, along with a new section of the bridge deck.
Yes, but: The West Pearl River Bridge on Highway 90 is still closed, according to Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development.
- Highway 90 is often used as an I-10 alternative to cross the state line, but the St. Tammany section has been closed since May 2022.
- The bridge and four others need to be replaced, DOTD spokesman Daniel Gitlin tells Axios.
- They won't reopen until 2028 under the current timeline.
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