CHRISTINE HARVEY / L’Observateur / July 28, 1999

Motorists driving across the elevated portions of south Louisiana’s interstates may be getting to their final destinations a little later than they used to, but as a result, their trips are a little safer.

A 60 miles per hour speed limit has been in place over the elevated portions of Interstate 10 over the Bonnet Carre Spillway and Interstate 55 over Pass Manchac, as well as over a part of Interstate 310, since March 15, following Gov. Mike Foster’s decree that the speed limit be loweredover those waterways.

And in the four months that have passed since the new speed limit took effect, the number of accidents and traffic backups over those areas has decreased, said Col. Jim Champagne, director of the Louisiana HighwaySafety Commission.

“The serious crashes have certainly been reduced. We’re pleased thegovernor has supported this initiative,” he said.Champagne said the lower speed limit gives motorists a little more time to take “evasive action” when confronted with the possibility of an accident, thus helping to avoid serious injury.

The interstates’ elevated portions do not have much in the way of emergency lanes, either, so the decrease in speed limit also has been good in that respect, according to Champagne.

Some motorists still speed across the waterways, but when they do so now, it is at an overall 10 mph decrease, he said.

Instead of going 78 or 80 or higher, speeders are only going 5-8 mph above the new speed limit, Champagne said.

And motorists are only losing about two to three minutes of their travel time on a 17-mile stretch of interstate by adhering to the new rule – enough time to save somebody’s life, according to Champagne.

Louisiana State Police are strictly enforcing the new speed limit, and federal funds have allowed for more troopers to patrol the elevated portions of the interstate, he said.

“I tell people, ‘Slow down and enjoy the beauty of this great state,'” Champagne said.

Trooper Kevin Cannatella of State Police Troop B said it’s too early to notice a significant change in speeding and traffic accidents on these elevated portions of the interstates, since the new speed limit has only been in effect for a short time.

However, he can turn to Troop I in the Lafayette area for a glimpse of what to expect from his motorists in the future.

Following a massive pile-up over a foggy Whiskey Bay well over a year ago, Gov. Foster lowered that elevated portion of Interstate 10’s speedlimit soon thereafter.

“The speed limit has dropped overall. Crashes have definitely beenreduced,” said Trooper E.J. Chesne, Troop I public information officer.He said no crashes nearing the magnitude of the one over Whiskey Bay a year and a half ago have occurred since the new speed limit was instituted.

People need to slow down in bad weather because it takes longer to stop, and the new speed limit has cut down on the number of fatal crashes over the waterway as well, Chesne said.

“Speed and stopping distances coincide with each other,” he said.

In 1998, six people were ticketed for going more than 100 mph over the posted speed limit, according to Chesne. So far, no one has been citedgoing that speed from the first of the year through May 1999.

And no fatalities have been posted this year through May, though four fatalities occurred in 1998, he said.

Chesne said large signs alerting motorists of “reduced speed ahead” and speed limit “strictly enforced,” as well as “huge 60 mph signs,” have been helpful in getting them to slow down.

Some drivers assume they can go 10 mph over the speed limit before they will get a ticket, but Chesne reported Troop I troopers gave out 21 tickets in April and May of this year for speeders going between 61-69 mph over Whiskey Bay.

Though some motorists still drive “as fast as they want to,” Chesne said it is up to the them to either take it easy or face the possibility of getting a citation.

“Overall, it’s a lot better than it used to be,” he said.

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