As waters in New Orleans
begin to recede and the repair effort begins throughout the Gulf Coast
region, officials are forecasting a hefty cost for repairing damaged and
obliterated roadways.
In an interview with The Associated Press on Sunday,
Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta said repairs to Interstate 10 and
U.S. 90 alone would cost at least $1.5 billion.
At least 100 miles of roadway on U.S. 90 in Louisiana were "basically wiped out," Mineta told The AP, and I-10 in most areas of New Orleans would be
unusable until water surrounding the ramps receded.
The Louisiana State Police ordered all roads
into and out of the New Orleans
area closed after the storm. Large portions of Interstate 10, including the
Twinspan Bridges, which were destroyed by the storm and flooding, have also
been closed.
In Katrina's wake, a number of smaller Louisiana roadways are
closed due to flooding or unspecified structural damage, including:
- U.S. 51 at Interstate 10, and from
Pontchatoula to LaPlace;
- Interstate 51 south at Interstate 10;
- U.S. 61 at Kenner
City, Shrewsbury Road,
and U.S. 61 south at the St. Charles Parish line;
- U.S. 90 at Interstate 310, and at the Orleans Parish line;
- River Road at the Orleans Parish line;
- Interstate 55 southbound south of Ponchatoula;
- Highway 11 at Little Irish Bayou, and south of Slidell;
- Interstate 59 southbound to Interstate 10 westbound
In Alabama,
storm-related road problems - including flooding and downed power lines - are
beginning to ease in storm-stricken Mobile and Baldwin Counties. Most roadways that were closed
by the storm were open as of Tuesday, Sept. 6, although drivers remain under
strong advisories to avoid the area if possible.
Road conditions have improved dramatically in
southern Mississippi.
With the exception of U.S. 90, which runs through the state from Alabama to Louisiana,
all roadways are open in the state. However, the Mississippi Department of
Public Safety is still urging caution as hurricane cleanup continues throughout
the area.
Because of the
nature of a natural disaster, road conditions and closings are prone to change
at a moment's notice. For an up-to-date list of closings in specific areas,
visit the following states' Web sites for more information:
- By Aaron Ladage, staff writer
aaron_ladage@landlinemag.com
