When will traffic congestion let up on I-10 in Hancock County? MDOT gives bridge update
A truck carrying BMWs crashed and burned on the Pearl River Bridge early on the morning of Jan. 11 and westbound traffic on I-10 has been backed up almost every day since.
Interstate 10 is down to one lane near the Mississippi-Louisiana line because the crash damaged a portion of the bridge.
About 46,000 vehicles travel I-10 in Hancock County every day, according to the Mississippi Department of Transportation. About half of those vehicles are headed west to New Orleans or further away and have to merge into one lane.
Mississippi Department of Transportation sends out traffic alerts for the area near the Mississippi-Louisiana line almost daily. Accidents in that area have also contributed to congestion, sometimes as far east as the Diamondhead exit.
About a week after the accident, MDOT was sending around one alert per day regarding congestion. A month later, the notices kept coming daily during the week, telling drivers to expect congestion for hours.
End to traffic woes in sight
MDOT has determined the damage to the bridge and taken bids for the work. Now it plans to award the contract to repair the bridge on Friday, March 4, said public information officer Katey Hornsby.
The repairs will be expedited.
“MDOT is anticipating a short time frame due to I-10 being down to one lane,” she said. “The contractor will be allowed to work 24/7,” which means drivers will need to be aware of construction crews on the bridge day and night.
Hornsby said MDOT anticipates crews will remove the damaged bridge rail first. That will be followed by hydrodemolition, which uses high-pressure water to safely remove concrete surfaces without cutting through the steel rebar.
The damaged bridge deck will be replaced while repairs are made to the beams underneath the bridge, she said.
That is just half the work.
“Traffic will then be moved to the newly constructed right lane so that repairs can be done on the left lane.,” she said.
There is no incentive included in the contract if the contractor finishes ahead of schedule, but she said the bridge repairs are expected to be complete by mid-April.
The wait continues
Until the work is done, drivers continue to face longer commutes and travel times.
But While the interstate is regularly backed up, Waveland Mayor Mike Smith said U.S. 90 is not usually affected by congestion.
“We haven’t seen any different traffic,” said Waveland Mayor Mike Smith. “I haven’t heard any complaints.”
For drivers traveling west who want to avoid the congestion, Smith suggests taking Exit 13 onto Mississippi 603, then hit Highway 90. People can then turn on Mississippi 607 at Pearlington and get into Louisiana.
Exit 2 is near Stennis Space Center in Hancock County. For Louisiana residents who commute over the state line, the traffic can be a hindrance.
Because of the coronavirus, many of the staff members at NASA are still teleworking from home, said news chief C. Lacy Thompson, and are not driving to Stennis daily.
This story was originally published March 2, 2022 at 4:31 PM.
