BATON ROUGE – Construction on the next phase to widen I-10 into Ascension Parish from East Baton Rouge will begin in early 2018.

DOTD announced it hired James Construction Group to do the work.

Designs call for three lanes in each direction from Highland Road to La. 73.

The project will take approximately two-and-a-half years to complete and includes the widening I-10 from four lanes to six lanes west of Highland Road to the LA 73 interchange, as well as the replacement of the LA 42 overpass structures.

“We are excited to start this much-needed capacity project,” said DOTD Sec. Shawn Wilson. “I-10 is not only an important route for freight, but it’s also a major artery for commuters who use it daily to travel between East Baton Rouge and Ascension Parishes. This is yet another project that highlights the necessity of having a well-funded transportation system and shows this administration’s dedication to using innovative means, such as design-build, to fund and construct meaningful projects. However, additional reliable, long-term funding will be needed to complete the expansion of the I-10 corridor or the construction of a new bridge.” 

The $72 million project is being funded by a combination of federal and state funds, including the use of over $40 million in congressionally authorized repurposed earmarks, which are one-time expenditures.

In the Baton Rouge area, there are a handful of interstate improvement projects happening: West of the Basin Bridge, work is going on on I-10 toward Lafayette and in Baton Rouge, there are plans being drawn up to improve interstate access to the Washington–Terrace Street area. 

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