Just to bump it up again in case anyone is going through Louisiana for Thanksgiving- read in the paper today that they don't think they will have the fire out until Wednesday at the earliest.
If you're going to be traveling through the best detour will add some time, I had to take it a couple times this past week and the traffic really backs up in those small towns... Also be aware of the speed limit changes, it'll drop from 65 to 45 pretty fast and those small town cops love to pull everyone over.
Interstate closure may affect holidays
Officials say portions of I-10 will reopen Wednesday at earliest
Kyle Jackson
[email protected]
A portion of Interstate 10 may not be reopened until Wednesday as workers attempt to extinguish a burning well that exploded when a pipeline erupted Thursday evening, state police say.
The Atchafalaya Basin Bridge from the Lobdell exit to the I-49 and I-10 junction in Lafayette has been closed due to the pipeline explosion, and traffic has been diverted off the busy roadway. Initially, state police said the road would be reopened by Sunday, but now they are saying that won't be the case - and it is even possible that I-10 could be closed through Thanksgiving.
"That possibility exists," said Trooper Johnnie Brown, spokesman for State Police Troop A. "But at the earliest, it will be open by Wednesday."
Cudd Well Control, a Houston-based company hired to bring the blowout under control, has adjusted timeline as a result of "hourly and daily assessments of the site," Brown said.
The reason for the delay in repairing the ruptured gas line that has been spitting fire since the explosion is to ensure the safety of the repair crew.
"This is not a housefire," he said. "There's a lot of variables that go into this kind of thing. The people that are working out there are working in a swamp environment. We want to make sure this is done safely."
Brown said motorists should expect heavy traffic delays throughout the week until I-10 is reopened, especially with the Thanksgiving holiday approaching.
Traffic was rerouted from I-10 to U.S. Route 190 through Opelousas and will continue to be diverted there until further notice, Brown said.
"On U.S. 190, you have local traffic, red lights, so we're expecting traffic delays there. But we have assistance from local law enforcement agencies to help us maintain the order we have on the highway," Brown said.
The ruptured pipeline occurred only 75 to 100 feet away from I-10 at mile marker 135 around 4:35 p.m. Thursday. I-10 was shutdown immediately afterward.