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Eastbound at the Exit 251 diamond interchange for Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge. The ramps connect to an overpass and the nearby parking area and nothing more. This interchange reopened in 1999. Photo taken 06/10/06. |
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A Hurricane Katrina toppled guide sign for U.S. 11 resides two miles ahead of the Exit 254 interchange at Irish Bayou. U.S. 11 enters the Irish Bayou area from Powers Junction and U.S. 90 (Chef Menteur Highway) 5.75 miles to the south. The federal highway crosses paths with Interstate 10 ahead of the 5-Mile Bridge over Lake Pontchartrain. Photo taken 06/10/06. |
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A look at the Exit 254 sign from the westbound direction of Interstate 10. U.S. 11 begins in New Orleans and ends at the Canadian border near Rouses Point, New York. Photo taken 06/10/06. |
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U.S. 11 continues north from Irish Bayou and Point aux Herbes to the Lake Pontchartrain Northshore at Slidell. The 5-Mile Bridge consists of a two-lane concrete bridge with two draw spans at the lake navigation channels. For a short period of time after Hurricane Katrina's landfall, the U.S. 11 span was the only in operation between New Orleans and Slidell. Photo taken 06/10/06. |
| Interstate 10 proceeds across the twin bridges over Lake Pontchartrain between Point Aux Herbes and Eden Isles in St. Tammany Parish. The bridges carry four lanes of travel between Irish Bayou and Eden Isles at Slidell at present. Photo taken 06/10/06. |
| Both of the spans over the Lake Pontchartrain suffered major damage by Hurricane Katrina's storm surge as the powerful waves sent many of the concrete bridge deck slabs into the lake. Crews salvaged as many of the spans that they could and used them to repair the eastbound span. Two sections of temporary metal truss spans were needed to reopen the westbound direction. Photo taken 06/10/06. |
| Descending from the navigation crest of the eastbound twin bridge of Interstate 10. Since crews were able to rebuild the eastbound span with original concrete decks, the bridge remains open with its original 60 mph speed limit. Westbound drivers are relegated to a 45 mph speed limit as the temporary metal truss sections. Both of the damaged bridges will be replaced with new three-lane bridges in the near future. For more on the bridges and Hurricane Katrina, please see our Hurricane Katrina Road Information page. 06/10/06. |
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A view of the North Shore coastline and city of Slidell (pop. 25,695) from the crest of the Interstate 10 eastbound Lake Pontchartrain Bridge. The hurricane related damage caused by Katrina rivaled damage done to the Interstate 10 spans over Escambia Bay at Pensacola. Unlike Katrina however, the damage to the Florida bridges was more severe and only three lanes of traffic with weight restrictions was restored post-Ivan. Photo taken 06/10/06. |
| Exit 261 of Oak Harbor Drive and Eden Isles is situated just past the northern end of the bridge. The two-mile guide sign featured here was blown into the Lake during Hurricane Katrina. Interstate 10 otherwise leaves New Orleans and Orleans Parish midway across Lake Pontchartrain. Photo taken 12/28/02. |
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One mile south of Exit 261 on Interstate 10 eastbound. This interchange serves newer subdivisions of southern Slidell. The area is growing due to the outward expansion of the New Orleans metropolitan area, and development continues even after the damage wrought by Hurricane Katrina. Photo taken 06/10/06. |
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Interstate 10 reaches land between the Eden Isles and Oak Harbor communities of Slidell. Eden Isles lies along Oak Harbor Boulevard and Eden Isles Drive to the west between the freeway and U.S. 11 (Pontchartrain Drive). Oak Harbor represents new communities between Interstate 10 and Louisiana 433 (Rigolets Road) to the east of Exit 261. Photo taken 06/10/06. |
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Eastbound at the Exit 261 diamond interchange with Oak Harbor Boulevard. Interstate 10 expands to six lanes at the north end of the twin bridges and remains at that capacity through to the Interstate 12 & 59 junction. Oak Harbor Boulevard ends at U.S. 11 to the west and at the Oak Harbor community to the east. Photo taken 06/10/06. |
| Two-mile overhead for the Exit 263 (Louisiana 433) diamond interchange on Interstate 10 eastbound. Louisiana 433 is a 14.86-mile route between U.S. 90 at the Rigolets and U.S. 190 west of Slidell. Locally the state highway serves a growing area along Rigolets Road to the east and Old Spanish Trail to the west. Photo taken 12/28/02.
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Interstate 10 eastbound one mile ahead of Exit 263 (Louisiana 433). Louisiana 433 (Old Spanish Trail & Rigolets Road) represents the original Louisiana 2 and U.S. 90 through the Slidell community. U.S. 11 and 90 once shared pavement from Slidell northward to Saint Rose, Mississippi. The cosigning existed before the U.S. 90 Pearl River crossing at Pearlington completion. At that time U.S. 90 traveled along Louisiana 433 northward from the Rigolets to downtown Slidell and its merge with U.S. 11. Photo taken 06/10/06. |
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Louisiana 433 (Old Spanish Trail) merges with U.S. 11 (Pontchartrain Drive) briefly to the west before departing the Slidell area for the communities of Bayou Liberty and Bontouca. Photo taken 06/10/06. |
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Exit 263 departs Interstate 10 eastbound to Louisiana 433 (Old Spanish Trail). This exit serves south Slidell and the Rigolets area near Lake St. Catherine and south of downtown via U.S. 11 (Front Street) north. Photo taken 06/10/06. |
| Interstate 10 next meets U.S. 190 (Gause Boulevard) at the Exit 266 diamond interchange east of downtown Slidell. Gause Boulevard comprises one of the main east-west arterials through the city of Slidell between Louisiana 1090 (Military Road) and Northshore Boulevard. Photo taken 12/28/02.
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One quarter mile south of the Exit 266 diamond interchange with U.S. 190 (Gause Boulevard). U.S. 190 travels west from U.S. 90 near the West Pearl River to Military Road and Gause Boulevard in east Slidell. U.S. 190 Business meanwhile follows the Shortcut Highway from Military road to U.S. 11 (Front Street) in downtown. There are long range plans to build an interchange between Interstate 10 and Shortcut Highway which is south of Exit 266. Photo taken 06/10/06. |
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Exit 266 to U.S. 190 (Gause Boulevard) leaves Interstate 10 east 1.50 miles south of the junction with Interstate 12 west and Interstate 59 north (Exit 266). Gause Boulevard represents the last opportunity for traveler services along Interstate 10 east until eastern Hancock County, Mississippi, over 20 miles away. Photo taken 06/10/06. |
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Leaving the U.S. 190 interchange, Interstate 10 prepares to shed Interstate 59 northbound from its mainline at Exit 267A. Interstate 12 begins via a left-hand ramp from the departed Interstate 59 as Exit 267B. Interstate 12 travels 80 miles westward to Baton Rouge while Interstate 59 travels 160 miles to Meridian. Photo taken 06/10/06. |
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Interstate 10 eastbound at Exits 267A/B. This interchange sees Interstate 10 revert to its east-west orientation, with traffic exiting to the right for Bay Saint Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi, Pascagoula, and Mobile. Traffic continuing straight has two options: One for Interstate 12 west to Hammond and Baton Rouge, and the other for Interstate 59 north to Hattiesburg and Meridian. Photo taken 06/10/06. |
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For traffic that continues straight beyond the Interstate 10 curve to the east, this sign bridge awaits them. Exit 267B takes traffic west to Interstate 12 through northern portions of Slidell, while the mainline (Exit 267A) transitions into Interstate 59 northbound for Pearl River and Picayune, Mississippi. The first interchange for either route serves U.S. 11. Photo taken 06/01. |
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What was the final eastbound reassurance shield on the mainline before the Interstate 10 River of Pearls crossing into Mississippi. This Louisiana shield no longer stands as of October 18, 2003. Photo taken 06/01. |
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Interstate 10 travels eight miles between Interstates 12 & 59 and the first Mississippi interchange (junction Mississippi 607). Mississippi 607 in conjunction with Mississippi 604 serves the Hurricane ravaged community of Pearlington from Exit 2. Equally hard hit by Hurricane Katrina, Bay St. Louis lies 21 miles ahead to the south of Exit 13. Photo taken 06/10/06. |
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The freeway enters the Pearl River Wildlife Management Area between Slidell and the Mississippi State line. Pictured here is the West Pearl River crossing of Interstate 10 east, a shoulder less two-lane concrete bridge. Photo taken 06/10/06. |
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A substandard fixed high-level bridge carries Interstate 10 over the Pearl River between St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana and Hancock County, Mississippi. The bridge also is shoulder less like the previous span. Photo taken 06/10/06. |
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A crude "Enter Hancock County Mississippi" sign marks the state boundary midway across the Pearl River Bridge. These types of signs are normally relegated to state roads or county highways. A weigh station lies ahead of the Exit 2 interchange with Mississippi 607 and the Mississippi Welcome Center. Photo taken 06/10/06. |
Page Updated July 6, 2006.
