Traveling westbound on I10 through LA and TX...

[robnfl]

The wife and I are taking a 30-day cross-country trip from SC to CA starting October 7th. We originally planned to take I10 from Jacksonville, FL to Carlsbad, NM. We have family in Jacksonville and Tallahassee, FL, so I10 is convenient. I?m trying to find out if I10 is open around the New Orleans or Houston area. I?ve looked at various DOT websites for each state, and all I can find out is that I10 seems to be open except for a couple of parishes in LA. Is it possible to use I12 to bypass I10 in that area? Has anyone traveled through that area recently and how are the road? Thanks?

Rob

 

[gonepostal]

I don't know specific information about the highways at present, being in the north and a non-traveler.  But I can tell you that I-12 bypasses New Orleans and goes past Slidell and is almost always a better route to take if you don't want to go into New Orleans itself.  If the DOT sites don't give you the information you want you might try websites for TV stations in Houston - maybe they give road reports for commuters
Sarah

 

[Jim Dick]

Rob,

I have taken Rt. 48 from Gulfport to Jackson, MI and picked up I20. Now you may not be able to get to Gulfport but it looks like Rt. 98 out of Mobile is the same type of road and runs into Rt. 48 in Hattiesburg. Rt. 48 is a divided highway but pretty light traffic. It does go through quite a few towns but we have never had a problem traveling that way. Quite pleasant compared to the Interstates.

 

[thebrits]

The I-10 bridge between Slidell and New Orleans is destroyed.  As far as I know, I-12 is open.  However, the traffic in the area is horrendous, as evacuees are trying to get back to the New Orleans area, and Slidell is gridlocked.  If you can go further north it may be advisable, but I'd check with the State Troopers if possible.

Dennis & Peggy

 

[Tom]

Peggy

Nice to see you posting. I kept thinking about you during the hurricanes and resulting devastation. IIRC you'd said you were in another part of the country (?), but I couldn't remember where. Didn't know if you got back to New Orleans at all. Fortunately, your daughter is a long way from there.

 

[edjunior]

Here, check out this site.

http://www.dotd.state.la.us/

 

[robnfl]

Here, check out this site.

http://www.dotd.state.la.us/

edjunior-Thanks...but, I've visited the website a few times, but is rather confusing to someone not familiar with LA. It lists road closings by Parish...I'm not familiar with the parish layout in that state.

I guess I'll just play it safe and take possibly 45 north to I20 and across to Carlsbad on I20. Or maybe 98 out of Mobile, pick up 49, then 20.

Rob

 

[edjunior]

Sorry 'bout that Rob.  the picture on that page just showed I-10 from Slidell to New Orleans as being closed, but all others open.  That would mean the I-12 bypass of New Orleans is indeed open.  However, as Dennis (or Peggy) said, you might want to avoid that area anyway due to evacuees returning.  Keep in mind also that due to Rita, evacuee traffic problems are likely all the way from Houston to Alabama along I-10.  I think you would do very good to head up to I-20 and shoot across there.

 

[robnfl]

Thanks Ed...yeah, I'm sure it'll be a mess in that area for quite some time.

Does anyone have any suggestions as far as the best road to take from I10 to get up to I20? As far as I can tell it looks like 98 from Mobile to 49 then up to I20 at Jackson, would be the best route.

Rob

 

[BruceinFL]

Thanks Ed...yeah, I'm sure it'll be a mess in that area for quite some time.

Does anyone have any suggestions as far as the best road to take from I10 to get up to I20? As far as I can tell it looks like 98 from Mobile to 49 then up to I20 at Jackson, would be the best route.

Rob

Try I10-I75-US82 to Montgomery and then US80 to I20. We take that route all the time to Montgomery from Jax.  If you are going to be in Tallahassee, take I10-US231-US80 or US27-US84-US231. We always try to avoid I-10. It's boring and we like to get into GA ASAP for cheap fuel.

 

[JohnSandyWhite]

Here, check out this site.

http://www.dotd.state.la.us/

Thanks for that link edjunior. That is part of the route we may travel from Florida to California sometime in November.