BATON ROUGE - The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development has announced the successful proposer for a $72 million project that will widen Interstate 10 near Highland Road. 

According to DOTD Secretary Shawn D. Wilson, James Construction Group, LLC, will carry out the project to widen the interstate from four lanes to six east of Highland Road to LA 73, as well as replace the LA 42 overpass structures.

Construction is expected to begin in early 2018 and should be completed in two and a half years.

The $72 million project is being funded by a combination of federal and state funds, including use of over $40 million in congressionally authorized repurposed earmarks. The original cost estimate for the project was $60 million, but was increased and capped at $72 million to maximize the future utility of Highland Road.

DOTD says improvements to Highland Road are unfunded and not a component of this project.