Phase two of Pecue Lane construction to be finished by summer
BATON ROUGE - Work to improve Pecue Lane at I-10 has been going on for a while but one part of the project is almost done.
Officials with DOTD say the bridge over the interstate will be finished during the summer. The bridge is the second phase of the $60 million project. DOTD says it still has a lot on the drawing board for the future interstate interchange.
Laura Duffy, owner of D's Garden Center, says for years she has traveled a few extra miles to get to I-10 to make deliveries.
"There's never been a Pecue exit from the interstate," Duffy said.
Drivers currently have to use Highland Road or Siegen Lane exits to access Pecue Lane. In a few more years, that will no longer be the case.
"We'll have a new exit," said DOTD communications director Rodney Mallett. "We'll have four lanes at Pecue which is going to help the traffic at Siegen, Highland, Perkins, that whole area. As the area continues to grow, we'll already have this in place."
Mallett says up next is on and off-ramps to access I-10 from Pecue. However, construction isn't set to start any time soon.
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"The next phase is yet to be bid, so once that gets bid we'll go and start phase three," Mallett said. "That's estimated to be two to three years."
Phase three also includes widening Pecue Lane to four lanes from Airline to Perkins Road. Mallett says the ramps will not be added until after the lanes are added.
"The exit ramps will not be active until Pecue Lane is four lanes and can handle interstate traffic," Mallett said.
According to Mallett, there is not a definite timeline of when the work will be complete. Phase three is expected to begin in 2023, though.
Business owners like Duffy look forward to the changes.
"I can go home and have no traffic at all, but sometimes there is a lot of traffic. Hopefully, with the opening of that interstate, it will free up some of the traffic and make things run a little smoother," Duffy said.