METAIRIE, La. - There is now a plan to fix a bad stretch of highway in Metairie.
I-10 between Causeway and Clearview is now expected to be re-surfaced in May.
According to the state Department of Transportation and Development, there are four fractures in the highway, one almost a mile long.
Highway engineer Frank Standige says the asphalt overlay and concrete underneath are shifting in different spots, causing the roadway to fracture.
"The two are going to move independently of each other and when they do, they rub each other and over that joint the asphalt tears and starts to fracture off," said Standige.
The DOTD recently tried to patch the cracks.
"We've been doing some maintenance patching as it's required, so we don't have motorcyclists or what ever get their wheel caught in it," said Standige. "That's just a temporary fix."
The patches didn't last very long.
There are chunks of asphalt lying on the side of the road and the cracks growing wider.
"Thankfully, I have a big enough car where I don't really get stuck in it," said one driver. "It's interesting."
Another driver said, "You can't keep putting a band aid on a big wound. After a while, you going to have to do surgery, major surgery means shutting down the highway. It's a big problem. Stop putting a band aid on and fix the problem."
That's exactly what the DOTD plans to do.
Later this month, the state will take bids on a contract to fix this stretch of highway.
All four lanes and the exit and on ramps are expected to get a facelift.
"We will mill off approximately two inches of asphalt, come in and clean the joint that you see in the pavement now, rake it clean, pack new asphalt in that joint and then overlay the entire lane," said Standige.
The work is expected to begin in May.
"Within sixty days down the road, we should start having some lane closures," said Standige. "They will only be during the hours of the operation. There will be no 24 hour closures. It will only be during the hours the contractor is working."
The new permanent fix is expected to last 7 to 10 years.
