PORT ALLEN - The daily commute will continue to be a struggle for drivers on the west side of the river for a few more years. 

According to DOTD, a major shift is coming in about six months when the new southbound Intracoastal Canal Bridge is complete. That's when drivers from the old northbound and southbound bridges will be transferred onto the new structure, with two lanes flowing in each direction.

"That bridge is going to be much wider, it's going to have wide shoulders and it'll be able to handle that traffic," LaDOTD spokesperson Rodney Mallett said.

By the end of this year, the next project to build a new northbound structure and demo the old bridges will go to bid. Mallett says DOTD estimates that portion of the project will not be complete until 2028, meaning drivers will be forced to travel in two different directions on one structure for upwards of three years. 

DOTD assures drivers they will still be able to merge onto I-10 East from La. 1 going north, despite being on the southbound structure. 

"When the new bridge is completed northbound, you're gonna have a dedicated lane that will go to (the) eastbound side of the Mississippi River Bridge so you won't have the people who cut in and cause the accordion effect backup," Mallett said.

Further clarification about what that new configuration will look like will be provided by DOTD shortly, according to a spokesperson.

Meanwhile, the notorious choke point for west side drivers won't be fixed any time soon, but Mallett is hopeful the I-10 widening project will provide a valid solution.