The City of New Orleans and the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) announced on March 10 the substantial completion of a $4.7 million lighting project at the I-10/I-610 interchange. The announcement was made during a media event at City Hall.
The project is significant for improving nighttime visibility and reliability along one of the city’s busiest interstate corridors, which serves approximately 91,000 vehicles per day. The installation included 154 new LED lights, featuring both high-mast and conventional fixtures, as well as underpass lighting.
“The completion of the I-10/I-610 lighting project shows what we can achieve when the city and the state work in lockstep,” said New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno. “This is a really critical project that fits right in line with our Lights On Initiative here at the City of New Orleans.”
Scott Boyle, DOTD District Engineer Administrator, said, “This project is a strong example of DOTD and the city working together to deliver infrastructure improvements that benefit residents and commuters.”
Council Member Eugene Green from District D added, “That lighting is going to help us curtail illegal dumping that has been a big problem under I-10 and 610 for so long. It’s been a while, but we are going to be moving in the right direction to public safety.”
The new system replaces an older lighting network that had suffered repeated damage from extreme weather events, including extensive outages caused by Hurricane Ida in 2021. The upgraded design uses energy-efficient LED lights with solar sensors that automatically activate when ambient light levels drop. High-mast structures were incorporated to reduce future damage risks and maintenance costs.
Funding for the project came primarily from the federal National Highway Performance Program, with additional support from state and local partners. While DOTD managed design and construction under a cooperative agreement, ownership and maintenance responsibilities will now shift to the City of New Orleans.
Officials say this improvement marks an important step toward restoring reliable infrastructure at key transportation interchanges throughout New Orleans.
