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BATON ROUGE, La. – The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) today advised drivers of upcoming work schedules for interstate and major road projects throughout Louisiana for the Christmas holidays (Friday, Dec. 24 through Sunday, Dec. 26) and for New Year’s weekend (Friday, Dec. 31 through Sunday, Jan. 2).

Traffic
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DOTD Secretary Sherri H. LeBas urges drivers to use extra caution when traveling on the roadways during the upcoming holiday weekends, especially at railroad crossings.

Below is the regional listing of work schedules and road closures for interstate construction and major road projects.          

 
Southeast Louisiana 
In the New Orleans area, all lanes of I-10, I-310, I-510 and I-610 will remain open. Drivers should note that the exit ramp from Causeway Boulevard – Northbound onto I-10
Westbound – remains closed.
In Jefferson Parish, the Huey P. Long Bridge will have one lane closed in each direction from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday, Dec. 27 through Friday, Dec. 31.
In the Slidell area, all lanes of I-10, I-12 and I-59 will remain open.      
In the Hammond area, all lanes of I-12 and I-55 will remain open.
In East Baton Rouge Parish, all lanes of I-10 and I-12 will remain open.
In Livingston Parish, all lanes of I-12 will remain open.
Although there will be no lane closures on I-10 and I-12 under the Geaux Wider
Program, drivers should note that the speed limit remains reduced to 50 mph within the construction zones.
 
Southwest Louisiana 
In the Lafayette area, all lanes of I-49 will remain open to traffic.
In the Lake Charles area, all lanes of I-210 will remain open to traffic.
In Calcasieu Parish, I-10 will have one lane closed in each direction from La. 27 (exit 20) to La. 108 in Sulphur.
 
Central Louisiana
            In the Alexandria area, all lanes of I-49 will remain open to traffic.
            In Natchitoches Parish, La. 6 at the Grand Ecore Bridge will be reduced to one lane. Temporary traffic lights are in place to control the flow of traffic. Drivers may experience minor delays because of construction activity in this area.
 
Northeast Louisiana 
In the Monroe area, all lanes of I-20 will remain open to traffic.
 
Northwest Louisiana 
In the Shreveport-Bossier City area, all lanes of I-20, I-49, and I-220 will remain open to traffic.
 
Oversize/overweight vehicle movement
DOTD Secretary Sherri H. LeBas announced today that all oversize and overweight vehicle movement on all state highways will be prohibited on Friday, Dec. 24 through Sunday, Dec. 26, in observance of the Christmas holidays. In observance of the New Year holiday, vehicle movement will be prohibited on Friday, Dec. 31 through Sunday, Jan. 2.
LeBas said the decision was made in conjunction with the Louisiana Department of Public Safety’s Office of State Police, to provide maximum safety for motorists traveling on state highways during this holiday.
The Truck Permit Office will be closed Friday, Dec. 24 through Monday, Dec. 27, and New Years Eve, Friday, Dec. 31.  Any permits needed to travel Monday, Dec. 27, will need to be purchased by close of business on Thursday, Dec. 23.
 
LA Swift Bus Service
LA Swift, the bus service that provides coach bus rides between Baton Rouge and New Orleans will not operate on Saturday, December 25, and will run a Sunday schedule on Saturday, Jan. 1.
Schedules and further details are available at www.laswift.com and through LA Swift’s Customer Service Center at (877)-94-SWIFT (1-877-947-9438). The center’s hours of operation are 7:30 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
The bus service makes stops in Baton Rouge, Gonzales, Sorrento, LaPlace, Kenner and New Orleans.
 
Further information
More detailed information on the status of DOTD construction projects and road closures may be obtained via the Traveler Information link from DOTD’s Web site, www.dotd.la.gov.
Traffic cameras for the Lake Charles, Monroe/West Monroe, Shreveport/Bossier City, Baton Rouge, Denham Springs, Walker, Lafayette, Houma, LaPlace, New Orleans, Hammond and Northshore areas also may be viewed from the 511 site.
Travelers can access up-to-date information about road conditions, construction activities and other critical incidents by dialing 511 or visiting www.511la.org. Out-of-state travelers can access the system by calling 1-888-ROAD-511 (1-888-762-3511).
DOTD’s Customer Service Center representatives can answer questions about road closures not listed above or any other DOTD-related questions. Please call (225) 379-1232 or 1-877-4LADOTD (1-877-452-3683) or email DOTDCS@la.gov. The center’s business hours are 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. The Customer Service Center will be closed Friday, Dec. 24, and Monday, Dec. 27, in observance of the Christmas holidays, and Friday, Dec. 31, in observance of the New Year’s holiday.
Finally, drivers are encouraged to tune in to local radio stations for current traffic and incident information prior to traveling.
            Drivers who notice road hazards, such as potholes or debris in the road, are urged to call DOTD’s statewide, toll-free Highway Safety Hot Line at 1-800-259-HWAY (4929). The automated system operates 24 hours a day and routes callers to the appropriate field office to report hazardous conditions.
 

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