Interstate 310 (I-310) is a short

spur route A spur route is a short road forming a branch from a longer, more important road such as a freeway, Interstate Highway, or motorway. A bypass or beltway should not be considered a true spur route as it typically reconnects with another or the s ...

I-10 Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost cross-country highway in the American Interstate Highway System. I-10 is the fourth-longest Interstate in the United States at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. This freeway is part of the originally pl ...

west of

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

, located entirely in

St. Charles Parish, Louisiana St. Charles Parish (french: Paroisse de Saint-Charles) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. At the 2020 census, its population was 52,549. The parish seat is Hahnville and the most populous community is Luling. The parish wa ...

. It begins at a point on I-10 just west of Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport and the city of Kenner. 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 Destrehan is a census-designated place (CDP) in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana, United States. At the 2020 census, its population was 11,340. Etymology The community is named after Jean Noël Destréhan (1754–1823), who was twice President of ...

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

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

. After the next interchange, LA 18, I-310 crosses the Mississippi River via the

(Luling–Destrehan Bridge), a cable-stayed bridge connecting the towns of Luling and

. North of the bridge, there is an interchange with LA 48. I-310 then proceeds to the LaBranche Wetlands Bridge, 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.

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

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, 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 Interstate 49 (I-49) is a north–south Interstate Highway that exists in multiple segments: the original portion entirely within the state of Louisiana with an additional signed portion extending from Interstate 220 (Louisiana), I-220 in S ...

from Lafayette to

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

. 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

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 '' ...