By LEONARD GRAY

Managing Editor

RESERVE – Motorists along Airline Highway, starting today, will have to deal with drainage construction work, as lanes are closed during the next several months to install cross drains.

The Department of Transportation and Development said the cross drains project will continue through May 11, between West 10th and West 19th streets.

During the first phase of construction, according to project engineer Charles “Danny” White, the outside lane headed toward New Orleans will close. Phase two will close both inside lanes. Phase three will close the outside lane headed toward Baton Rouge.

The work will continue around the clock to expedite the completion of the traffic-snarling project.

At the same time, Smith continued, asphalt patching will remove deteriorated asphalt along Airline between the St. John Parish line and Louisiana Highway 54 at Garyville.

That project, which also begins today, should be completed in about a month. Workers will only work weekdays in daylight hours.

The work will cause intermittent lane closures in each direction, Smith added, but at least one lane will be open at all times in each direction.