KENNER, La. — The intersection of Loyola Drive and Veterans Boulevard will close at 10 p.m. on Friday, March 18, until 7 a.m. on Monday, March 21, as crews erect steel girders over Veterans Boulevard for the Loyola Drive flyover.
Police will be on-site to help direct traffic. Drivers are strongly encouraged to avoid the area to minimize delays. In addition, avoiding the route during the closure will help reduce congestion for emergency vehicles and airport travelers.
Eastbound Veterans Detour: Traffic will turn right onto MSY’s Terminal Drive toward the airport and go to the roundabout to return northbound on Terminal Drive to return to Veterans. Once on northbound Terminal Drive, there will be two lanes of traffic.
Traffic heading to eastbound Veterans will stay in the right lane and turn right onto eastbound Veterans.
Traffic bound for northbound Loyola Drive and I-10 will stay in the left lane, turn right onto eastbound Veterans and U-turn to return to Loyola Drive to access I-10 or continue north on Loyola.
Westbound Veterans Detour: Traffic will turn right onto Loyola Drive northbound, continue to the U-turn near 30th Street to return southbound on Loyola Drive to Veterans Boulevard.
Airport Detour: Traffic leaving the airport will be forced to turn right onto eastbound Veterans and follow the detour described above in the eastbound Veterans detour.
This work is part of the ongoing $125 million I-10, Loyola Drive Interchange improvements. Once complete, there will be two flyover ramps, which will directly connect the airport to I-10 to and from New Orleans. The project also adds auxiliary lanes along I-10 between Loyola Drive and Williams Boulevard. On the ground level, Loyola Drive will be modified to become the state’s first Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI).
DOTD anticipates the DDI to be open by late Summer 2022 and the flyovers by early 2023, weather permitting.
*Media release courtesy of the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development