BATON ROUGE - Whether you're heading to Lafayette or Baton Rouge, if you take I-10, you'll have to drive across 18 miles of the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge. 

If drivers happen to cross that bridge in fewer than 18 minutes, they'll be subject to a fine of up to $1,000.

“If you’re going over the speed limit, you’re going to get a ticket. And while you believe there’s some people who don’t like it, we believe that there’s a lot of people who do like it," Rodney Mallet, a spokesperson for DOTD, said.

Mallet says the somewhat controversial plan to control speeding drivers on the Basin Bridge is something the agency sees as a lifesaving effort. According to DOTD, around 70% of crashes that occur between Lafayette and Baton Rouge are rear-endings and sideswipes that are caused by distracted or speeding drivers.

“There’s no shoulders, there’s very little room to make a mistake. We’ve seen that numerous times. Ya know, we could minimize a lot of these crashes by maintaining the speed."

The efforts to minimize speeding on the Basin Bridge will be implemented in three phases. The first phase included posting signs warning of higher fines, which went up in August of 2022. 

The second phase includes 'speed feedback signs' which are digital signs that will tell drivers how fast they are going. That is set to be complete by the end of 2023. 

For the third and final phase, DOTD will install cameras to track speeding drivers along the bridge. Mallet says that will be complete by the end of 2024. 

“People who do drive the speed limit, people who want to see a safer corridor… they’re the ones who really pushed for this legislation."