Rural bridges at MS-LA line are closed. Is it adding risk to other I-10 detours?

Every time that traffic stops near the state line on Interstate 10, drivers heading from Mississippi to Louisiana have few choices.

A popular detour on Highway 90 is closed and may not open for years. Texas Flat Road, a two-lane route between Kiln and Picayune, is the only easy alternative.

But the road is dangerous, and state leaders say the risks may be rising.

Thirteen people have died in car accidents there in the last three years, according to the county coroner. It is unclear what caused each of the crashes, which have killed at least five teenagers. But county officials say speeding is common, and traffic from heavy equipment and semi-trucks on the rural road is increasing.

“When they shut down the interstate, I’m telling you, it’s tough,” said Greg Shaw, a county supervisor whose district includes part of Texas Flat Road.

Hancock County drivers had long used Highway 90 to reach Louisiana when interstate traffic was slow. But five deteriorating bridges near the state line have been closed for more than three years. The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development lacks money to fix them and does not know when they will reopen.

Traffic problems in Mississippi

The I-10 bridge into Louisiana has been plagued in recent years by wrecks, lane closures, backups and semi-truck crashes that damaged the structure. State leaders say those problems can add burdens to Texas Flat Road.

“When you have oversized loads and you have big trucks that weigh 50,000 pounds or more, those roads usually aren’t equipped for that,” State Sen. Philman Ladner said last week.

Interstate traffic is normal most days, and estimates from the Mississippi Department of Transportation show average traffic counts on Texas Flat Road have stayed stable since the bridges closed. But over 2,000 cars a day crossed the state line on Highway 90 before the closures, and about 7,000 more cars than a decade ago now cross the state line on I-10 each day.

Interstate delays near the state line were common in 2023, when collisions forced the bridge to close a lane for repairs and traffic slogged for weeks. That year was also the deadliest in recent memory on Texas Flat Road: Six people died from car accidents, according to the coroner. It is unclear if the backups and crashes are correlated.

What’s next for Highway 90 bridges?

Transportation officials have estimated it will cost between $150 million and $350 million to open the Highway 90 bridges to traffic again.

Leaders in Louisiana planned to submit a federal grant application in the fall to repair and replace the bridges. But Louisiana State Rep. Stephanie Berault, who represents the area east of Slidell, said the program stopped when the government shut down earlier this year. She said she hopes the program will open in January.

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development is creating several designs for rebuilding the Highway 90 bridges so it can “move immediately” once it gets funding, said Daniel Gitlin, a spokesperson.

“The amount of money that becomes available, and when it becomes available, will dictate the project,” he said. “The positive news is that once funding does become available, we have positioned ourselves to be ready to move forward.”

‘We’re waiting’

State leaders have suggested some solutions. Ladner, the state senator, has said he would like the Mississippi Department of Transportation to work with Louisiana to one day add another bridge between the states. Others hope the agency will widen the interstate to six lanes instead of four to accommodate more traffic and ease backups at the state line.

The county is adding thicker asphalt so Texas Flat Road can handle heavier equipment, said Scotty Adam, president of the Hancock County Board of Supervisors. County leaders say speeding is the road’s main danger, but it is rarely enforced because Mississippi law prohibits deputies from using radar.

Shaw said he fears more cars on a smoother road could lead to more speeding. “We fixed the road, but we’re not solving the problem,” he said.

The dilemma is also causing worry in Pearlington, where residents relied on Highway 90 to commute and evacuate from hurricanes. Now most businesses in the small town have fewer customers. Others say they feel trapped.

Adam said the county has sought answers from Louisiana about when the Highway 90 bridges will open.

“We’re waiting on them to figure out what they’re going to do,” he said.