Interstate 310 (I-310) is a short
spur route of
I-10 west of
, 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 (French: ''Aéroport international Louis Armstrong de La Nouvelle-Orléans'') is an international airport under Class B airspace in Kenner, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is o ...
and the city of
Kenner
Kenner Products, known simply as Kenner, was an American toy company founded in 1946. Throughout its history, the Kenner brand produced several highly recognizable toys and merchandise lines including action figures like the original series of ' ...
. 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 second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...
from
Destrehan to
Luling via the
Hale Boggs Memorial Bridge
The Hale Boggs Memorial Bridge (also known as the Luling Bridge) is a cable-stayed bridge over the Mississippi River in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana. It is named for the late United States Congressman Hale Boggs.
With a total length of , it is ...
. After a brief concurrency with
Louisiana Highway 3127 (LA 3127), I-310 terminates at
US 90 in
Boutte.
Route description
![Haleboggsbridge](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/01/Haleboggsbridge.jpg)
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
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...
. After the next interchange, LA 18, I-310 crosses the Mississippi River via the
Hale Boggs Memorial Bridge
The Hale Boggs Memorial Bridge (also known as the Luling Bridge) is a cable-stayed bridge over the Mississippi River in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana. It is named for the late United States Congressman Hale Boggs.
With a total length of , it is ...
(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
The LaBranche Wetlands Bridge is a concrete trestle bridge in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a total length of , it is one of the longest bridges in the world. The bridge carries Interstate 310 over the LaBranche Wetlands in St. Charles Pa ...
, 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
Kenner Products, known simply as Kenner, was an American toy company founded in 1946. Throughout its history, the Kenner brand produced several highly recognizable toys and merchandise lines including action figures like the original series of ' ...
.
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
The Hale Boggs Memorial Bridge (also known as the Luling Bridge) is a cable-stayed bridge over the Mississippi River in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana. It is named for the late United States Congressman Hale Boggs.
With a total length of , it is ...
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
The LaBranche Wetlands Bridge is a concrete trestle bridge in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a total length of , it is one of the longest bridges in the world. The bridge carries Interstate 310 over the LaBranche Wetlands in St. Charles Pa ...
, was opened to traffic.
Future
Future plans for I-310 are to relocate the southern end of the interstate to connect with the future extension of
I-49 from
Lafayette
Lafayette or La Fayette may refer to:
People
* Lafayette (name), a list of people with the surname Lafayette or La Fayette or the given name Lafayette
* House of La Fayette, a French noble family
** Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette (1757â ...
to
. Another proposal in the Louisiana Statewide Transportation Plan proposes an extension of the
Earhart Expressway
The Earhart Expressway, named for former New Orleans Commissioner of Public Utilities, Fred A. Earhart, is a state highway located in both Jefferson Parish and Orleans Parish, Louisiana. It is also designated as Louisiana Highway 3139 (LA 3139), ...
(
Louisiana Highway 3139) westward from Dickory Avenue to I-310, to serve as a freeway alternative to I-10.
With discussions of extending I-510 across the Mississippi River, there is speculation of reviving the idea of a connection between I-310 and I-510.
Exit list
See also
*
List of auxiliary Interstate Highways
Auxiliary Interstate Highways (also called three-digit Interstate Highways) are a supplemental subset of the freeways within the Interstate Highway System of the United States.
Auxiliary routes are generally classified as spur routes, which conn ...
*
List of Interstate Highways in Louisiana
The Interstate Highway System in Louisiana consists of of freeways constructed and maintained by the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (La DOTD).
The system was authorized on June 29, 1956 when President Dwight D. Eise ...
References
External links
La DOTD State, District, and Parish Maps
{{DEFAULTSORT:Interstate 10-3
10-3
310
__NOTOC__
Year 310 ( CCCX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Andronicus and Probus (or, less frequently, year 1063 '' ...
10-3
Transportation in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana