Will I-10 in South MS be ready if Louisiana residents flee potential Hurricane Francine?

Drivers traveling east on Interstate 10 to evacuate a strengthening tropical system expected to hit Louisiana this week will face three construction projects that have snarled traffic this summer in South Mississippi.

Construction crews are working this week between Diamondhead and Menge Avenue. Tropical Storm Francine is expected to hit Louisiana as a Category 1 hurricane Wednesday evening, which could turn Interstate 10 into an evacuation route this week that carries drivers away from the system’s predicted landfall.

The Mississippi Department of Transportation said it is “monitoring tropical development and will make adjustments to construction activities as needed.”

“If storm impacts are expected, MDOT will pause construction work and increase traffic capacity by opening lane closures where it is safe to do so,” Anna Ehrgott, a public information officer, said.

Construction near Diamondhead

Drivers traveling east from Louisiana would first hit construction near Diamondhead, where MDOT is reconstructing the interchange at Exit 16.

The I-10 eastbound exit ramp is closed while crews finish paving it, Ehrgott said. She said the ramp should open by the weekend if weather allows.

Crews are also widening the ramps and overpass, and will build three roundabouts and a multi-use path. Crews will close the westbound entrance ramp in mid-October, Ehrgott said.

The $17 million project will last until 2026.

I-10 expansion on MS Coast

MDOT expects “several overnight lane closures” this week as part of an I-10 widening project in Hancock and Harrison counties, Ehrgott said.

The agency said it was unclear what nights lane closures would occur. Closures are dependent on construction needs and weather, and Ehrgott said the latest updates would be posted to the MDOT Traffic app and MDOTtraffic.com.

MDOT is widening I-10 from four to six lanes in Hancock and Harrison counties. Construction extends from Diamondhead to County Farm Road.

Crews are building new lanes in the existing median and widening the outside shoulder. The project will widen three bridges, and crews are also installing digital message signs and traffic cameras on the interstate.

The $155 million project will last through 2027.

Buc-ee’s construction

MDOT said a project to widen the Menge Avenue overpass near the future Buc-ee’s Travel Center off I-10 will end this fall.

No lane closures associated with the project are expected this week, Ehrgott said.

Alternate evacuation routes

The construction has slowed drivers this summer in backups that sometimes last hours.

To avoid construction, drivers going north can take Interstate 59 to Hattiesburg.

Highway 90, a key evacuation route, is closed at the Louisiana-Mississippi line because of structural problems with the West Pearl River bridge. If I-10 becomes clogged with traffic, eastbound drivers trying to reach Highway 90 can take I-10 to Highway 607. Drivers can also exit I-10 at Highway 603, then travel south until the road hits Highway 90.

This story was originally published September 9, 2024 at 11:53 AM.