A pothole is leading to major delays again on MS Coast’s I-10. Here’s what’s causing them

Drivers going west on Interstate 10 should expect “major delays” on Friday because crews are working on emergency repairs near the Vidalia Road overpass, the Mississippi Department of Transportation said.

The delays were first reported Friday morning near the Menge Avenue exit.

The right lane is closed through 5 p.m. Friday near mile marker 23. Crews are fixing a pothole near the Vidalia Road overpass, MDOT said. Delays are contained to the westbound lanes and could last at least four hours and 30 minutes.

Friday was the latest time in several weeks that MDOT has closed a lane for emergency pothole repairs.

Construction crews are widening the interstate by one lane in each direction. MDOT has widened the shoulder this month to shift traffic to outside lanes while crews work in the median.

But a drain runs beneath the shoulder and cannot withstand the weight of large trucks, said Anna Ehrgott, a public information officer at MDOT.

Trucks with large loads in the right lane put too much pressure on the drain, which has created several potholes on the interstate this month, Ehrgott said.

MDOT has placed signs in the area that ask trucks to only use the left lane. But drivers who do not see or follow that warning have created potholes and prompted the recent lane closures, Ehrgott said.

The widened shoulder is “perfectly sufficient” to hold regular traffic, she said. But “heavy truck traffic really needs to stay in the left lane.”

The delay is the latest of dozens since construction began on I-10 last summer. Construction in the area will continue for at least two years.

This developing story and may be updated.

This story was originally published November 8, 2024 at 10:15 AM.