Prepare for a slight shuffle in your commute if you're traversing St. John the Baptist Parish anytime soon. According to Louisiana's Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD), there's set to be a moving operation on US 61, affecting both northbound and southbound lanes, starting from Airport Road to the St. James Parish Line. Commuters, mark your calendars: this stretch will be under construction beginning yesterday, at 11 am and is slated to conclude tomorrow at 7 pm, so long as the weather doesn't throw a wrench in the works.
The intent behind this disruption? Crews are rolling out to install new, temporary roadway striping on this section of the road. Now, DOTD hasn't set any restrictions for oversized loads during this time, which makes for one less headache for those hauling bigger loads. Yet, a detour might be well worth considering to skip out on the lane closures. Heading north on US 61? Your alternate path involves taking LA 3188 north to I-10, swinging west to LA 641, then southward to return to US 61. Going south? Flip the script: start with LA 641 north to I-10, head east to LA 3188, then drop back down to reconnect with US 61.
Keep it cool and exercise some patience when making your way through the work zone. DOTD chimed in with a safety reminder, urging everyone to "please drive with caution through the construction site and be on the lookout for work crews and their equipment." Encountering roadwork can be a drag, but a little mindfulness goes a long way in keeping everyone safe on the tarmac.
