Louisiana DOT seeks design-build bids for I-10 expansion in East Baton Rouge, Ascension parishes

Updated Sep 30, 2016

baton-rouge-i-10-interstate-10-i-12-interstate-12The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LDOTD) has issued a Notice of Intent (NOI) for design-build bids for widening seven miles of Interstate 10 spanning Baton Rouge and Ascension parishes.

Gov. John Bel Edwards announced the project earlier this month as a means for easing congestion in the area.

“The widening of I-10 in East Baton Rouge and Ascension parishes is a priority for the state,” LDOTD Sec. Shawn Wilson said. “With the full support of the U.S. Department of Transportation and Gov. Edwards, we’re able to utilize the innovative design-build method to move us one step closer to reducing congestion and enhancing safety along this heavily traveled freight corridor.”

The project would widen the highway to six lanes from four lanes beginning roughly one-quarter mile west of the I-10/Highland Road interchange and ending about one-half mile east of the I-10/Louisiana 73 interchange.

To pay for the project, LDOTD is repurposing more than $40 million in earmarked funds leftover from completed projects or projects that had been less than 10 percent allocated and were more than 10 years old. This process was made possible under the FAST Act.

“While actions by DOTD under this administration demonstrate what can be accomplished through innovation and by working with our federal partners, Louisiana’s major transportation needs cannot be addressed without an additional long-term investment from the state,” Secretary Wilson added

Details on the NOI for the I-10 widening project are available here.