By Associated Press - Thursday, November 19, 2020

VINTON, La. (AP) - Work is starting to widen part of Interstate 10 at Louisiana’s southwest tip from four lanes to six.

The American Press reports Gov. John Bel Edwards and others broke ground Tuesday on the $152 million project, which will widen nearly 11 miles (18 kilometers) of the highway.

Work will include widening and replacing 10 bridges, and replacing the weigh station along I-10 eastbound said state Department of Transportation and Development Secretary Shawn Wilson. Once the project is finished, it will connect drivers with three lanes to Interstate 210.

“It’s going to be safer, faster and smoother than it is today,” Wilson said.

The project will be done in three segments and should be complete by 2025, Wilson said.

Wilson said officials have also reviewed the number of people who evacuated ahead of Hurricanes Laura and Delta. Widening this section of I-10 will make evacuation quicker, he said.

Edwards met later in the day with local officials to discuss plans and a timeline for a new I-10 bridge over the Calcasieu River. The governor says the project could cost almost $1 billion, although he said he understand the need to replace the 1951 bridge.

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