BATON ROUGE- Traffic in the Baton Rouge area can be brutal. And it looks like it will only get worse before it gets better.

An emergency repair Tuesday morning on LA-1 on the west side left thousands in a gridlock during the morning commute. Many took to Facebook to share their frustrations. One driver called what happened today a 'come to Jesus' moment. 

Others, like Lionel Jackson, are concerned that what happened today is only a glimpse of what is to come when construction starts next year. 

"To think that it's only going to be cut down to one lane, is a terrible feeling," Jackson said. 

One driver named Mike says traffic near the bridge is a nightmare even on a normal day. 

"You can go to New Orleans faster than you can cross over the Mississippi River Bridge. It's gotten so bad, if I could find another place to move, I'd go move," Mike said. 

The DOTD Spokesman, Rodney Mallett spoke with us Tuesday. He says drivers need to buckle up and get ready for even more traffic when the work goes into high gear and lanes will be temporarily reduced. 

"We know that the traffic congestion right now is terrible and it could get worse," Mallett said

He knows there will be frustration but says the I-10 widening project will benefit the Baton Rouge area when it is complete. 

"For 25 years, we heard that we need to address this so we are going to address it and then you will have the rewards for generations to come," Mallett said. 

But in the meantime, the message is simple: get ready for a bumpy ride.