What is traffic like today at Menge Avenue exit near Buc-ee’s site? Expect major delays

Traffic on Interstate 10 near Menge Avenue backed up for four-and-a-half hours Wednesday due to ongoing construction to make way for a new Buc-ee’s travel center near the exit.

Drivers have faced delays in the area ever since the overpass closed in early July. MDOT warned drivers on Wednesday to travel with caution and be prepared to stop.

The Menge Avenue overpass is closed for 13 months in both directions on the Mississippi Coast. The closure is part of a $15 million highway widening project to make way for the Buc-ee’s, and crews are currently working to demolish and replace the bridge with one that holds five lanes of traffic.

MDOT officials have said the overpass will be demolished by the end of July or early August.

The I-10 entrance and exit ramps will remain open throughout the project but the overpass closure means drivers traveling north on Menge Avenue or south on Firetower Road must detour about five miles west on I-10.

The delays are one of three projects that have caused congestion for Mississippi Coast drivers this summer. The West Pearl River Bridge remains closed through 2028 so crews can conduct “emergency repairs,” according to MDOT. The East Pearl River Bridge, which caused delays near the MS-LA state line for weeks, reopened Friday.

This story was originally published July 26, 2023 at 11:50 AM.