I-10 Widening Project wins Operations Excellence Award

Published 3:42 pm Tuesday, August 3, 2021

Baton Rouge – Today, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development announced that it is the recipient of the 2021 America’s Transportation Operations Excellence Award. This award was presented to DOTD Secretary Shawn D. Wilson, Ph.D., at the annual Southeastern Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (SASHTO) regional conference for the I-10 widening project in Ascension and East Baton Rouge Parishes.

The Operations Excellence award is presented to projects that demonstrate the ability to operate the existing transportation system as safely and efficiently as possible and make more effective use of already existing transportation assets.

“This project is a testament of what can be accomplished when entities work together to create a lasting and effective transportation system,” said Secretary Wilson. “The I-10 widening project was critical for the economic growth in the region and I am proud it has received recognition. I want to applaud DOTD staff, contractors, designers and everyone who has worked on this project.”

In September 2016, Louisiana received $40 million in additional federal highway funding due to successfully obligating the full amount of its federal funding during the 2015-2016 federal fiscal year, resulting in plans for the I-10 widening project to move forward.

This $72 million project broke ground in February 2018 and was completed a little over two and half years later in October 2020. Overall, the project consisted of widening I-10 from four lanes to six lanes from Highland Road in Baton Rouge to the LA 73 interchange in Prairieville. The contractor was James Construction Group.

Additionally, the two bridges on the I-10 overpass above Highland Road were replaced with one large overpass that includes three 12-foot travel lanes in each direction, separated by a two-foot barrier. The LA 928 (Bluff Road) bridge was raised approximately nine inches to comply with updated federal interstate standards.

This widening project was one of four projects that was submitted in the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) annual contest highlighting improvements to quality of life, technology and innovation, and construction operations through these infrastructure projects. Competing states include Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.

The AASHTO contest was created to showcase the importance of transportation, and how these projects make communities stronger, economies more efficient, and quality of life better. As a regional winner, the I-10 widening project will be considered in the AASHTO’s “Top 12” contest, competing with other projects across the nation.

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) is committed to delivering transportation and public works systems that enhance the quality of life. In addition to more than 16,600 miles of roadway, including over 890 miles of interstate, DOTD supports the development of the state’s aviation, marine and rail infrastructures. Through this work, we are able to facilitate economic development, create job opportunities, improve vital evacuation routes, and make critical freight corridors safer and more efficient.

For more information, please visit www.dotd.la.gov, email dotdcs@la.gov, or call DOTD’s Customer Service Center at (225) 379-1232 or 1-877-4LADOTD (1-877-452-3683). Business hours are 7:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Please let us know how we may better serve you: Customer Service Survey.