Traffic has slowed MS Coast drivers for months near I-10 construction. When will it end?

On busy Interstate 10, where construction, rain and even a pothole have slogged traffic for months, the wait for an open road might take much longer.

Construction will continue for at least two years, until crews finish widening the interstate by another lane in each direction. The Mississippi Department of Transportation says crews will occasionally close lanes for construction, mostly at night. Some closures, including emergency repairs, could happen during the day, Anna Ehrgott, a public information officer for MDOT, said.

Such lane closures often prompt backups, which have become common on I-10 in Harrison and Hancock counties since construction began in the area last year. But MDOT says the work is worth it: A bigger interstate will mean faster travel and less congestion. It will also improve roads for an influx of newcomers on Mississippi Coast, which is growing despite declining population in other parts of the state.

“This is to better meet the demands of the present traffic situation,” Ehrgott said. “And to add capacity for the future.”

More crashes, delays on MS Coast

Repeated backups have caused headaches for drivers. Crashes have also increased.

Cars on I-10 in Harrison and Hancock counties crashed 307 times from July 2022 through 2023, according to the Mississippi Highway Patrol. The next year, after construction started, that number rose to 380, and 83 crashes were related to construction zones. The agency said it could not specify how many of the crashes involved injuries or deaths.

The Highway Patrol is adding troopers in the area and making them more obvious on the road. MDOT takes every chance to warn drivers to slow down near construction.

“A lot of what we’re trying to do is just have presence,” Highway Patrol Trooper Landon Orozco said. He said troopers are more often driving on the interstate instead of parking on its shoulder. Drivers who suddenly spot idle troopers can slow traffic because they brake too quickly.

Most days, traffic is clear.

But delays have recurred almost monthly since construction started on a new Buc-ee’s Travel Center off I-10 last year. A pothole forced construction crews to close one lane for emergency repairs last week, which slogged traffic for hours between Vidalia and County Farm Road. Wet roads one rainy day earlier this month caused delays in the same area.

Rain caused another round of backups one day in September between Diamondhead and Vidalia Road. Alternating lane closures for bridge construction at Menge Avenue stalled traffic for four straight days in August. MDOT reported similar delays in June, May and April.

Marlin Ladner, president of the Harrison County Board of Supervisors, said most residents are used to traffic and detours.

“I think people have adapted,” he said. “There is some frustration but I think everybody recognizes that that’s necessary to get the work done.”

When will traffic end?

The Menge Avenue bridge will probably open by Thanksgiving, Ladner said this week.

It has been closed since summer 2023, when the county began replacing the bridge and widening the ramps and Firetower Road to prepare for more traffic at Buc-ee’s. That construction led to occasional lane closures, and traffic delays associated with the bridge will decrease after it opens. The Buc-ee’s being built at the exit will open next spring and send more traffic through the area.

Night lane closures will continue through 2027 between Diamondhead and County Farm Road, Ehrgott said. MDOT is widening that stretch of I-10 from four to six lanes. Ehrgott said the “great majority” of closures will happen at night, but unexpected repairs could occasionally force crews to close lanes during the day.

In Diamondhead, MDOT is widening the interstate overpass and adding roundabouts. The project is also closing each ramp to make them bigger. Ehrgott said each closure will last four to six weeks. MDOT will finish the project in 2026.

Construction is happening all at once because MDOT got money for two projects at the same time, Ehrgott said. Those projects also connect: MDOT is building a recreational path and sound barrier that will run along the interstate in Diamondhead in the same area where crews are adding new lanes. The Menge Avenue project is separate and funded by Harrison County.

MDOT is also adding more traffic cameras to the same stretch of I-10.

“There’s going to be a lot to look forward to,” Ehrgott said.

This story was originally published October 31, 2024 at 8:55 AM.