Interstate 310 (I-310) is a short

spur route A spur route is a short road forming a branch from a longer, more important road such as a freeway, Interstate Highway, or motorway. A Bypass route, bypass or beltway is not considered a spur route as it typically reconnects with another or the ...

of I-10 west of

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

, located entirely in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana. It begins at a point on I-10 just west of

Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport is an international airport under Class B airspace in the City of Kenner, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is owned by the City of New Orleans and is west of downtown New ...

and the city of Kenner. It travels southward as an elevated freeway across the LaBranche Wetlands and intersects U.S. Route 61 (US 61) in St. Rose. The highway crosses the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

from Destrehan to Luling via the Hale Boggs Memorial Bridge. After a brief concurrency with Louisiana Highway 3127 (LA 3127), I-310 terminates at US 90 in Boutte.

Route description

I-310's southern terminus is at US 90, where it travels north through flat marshlands. The southernmost mile () was originally built as part of LA 3127, an inland bypass to LA 18, and is cosigned with I-310. North of I-310's first interchange, LA 3127 leaves the Interstate, as I-310 heads towards the

. After the next interchange, LA 18, I-310 crosses the Mississippi River via the Hale Boggs Memorial Bridge (Luling–Destrehan Bridge), a cable-stayed bridge connecting the towns of Luling and Destrehan. North of the bridge, there is an interchange with LA 48. I-310 then proceeds to the LaBranche Wetlands Bridge, a bridge over environmentally sensitive wetlands between Destrehan and the I-10 interchange. The northernmost of this bridge between the US 61 and I-10 interchanges was constructed using a method known as "end-on construction". This is a top–down technique in which construction platforms are mounted on concrete piles to avoid disrupting the environment below. From these platforms, the next set of piles and bridge viaducts are placed, allowing the platform to progress forward for the next set. The interstate terminates at I-10 just west of Kenner.

History

I-310 was originally planned, along with I-510, as part of Interstate 410, a southern beltway around the New Orleans metro area. In 1977, I-410 was canceled and the two Interstates were split into their current components. The Hale Boggs Memorial Bridge was completed in October 1983 and was the first portion of I-310 to open. The west bank approach, extending to US 90 in Boutte was opened in March 1988, followed in July 1991 by the east bank approach as far as US 61. I-310 was completed on May 7, 1993 when the final section between US 61 and I-10, including much of the LaBranche Wetlands Bridge, was opened to traffic.

Future

Future plans for I-310 are to extend the interstate to connect with the future extension of

I-49 Interstate 49 (I-49) is a north–south Interstate Highway with multiple segments. The original portion is entirely within Louisiana with an additional signed portion extending from I-220 in Shreveport to the Arkansas state line, three ne ...

from Lafayette to

. Another proposal in the Louisiana Statewide Transportation Plan proposes an extension of the Earhart Expressway ( Louisiana Highway 3139) westward from Dickory Avenue to I-310, to serve as a freeway alternative to I-10.

Exit list

References

External links