Site Navigation Alabama Florida Georgia Louisiana Mississippi North Carolina South Carolina Tennessee     Interstate 610 Westbound Interstate 610 Westbound Interstate 610 veers westward from Interstate 10 at the Exit 239B partial "Y" interchange. The elevated interchange exists over Franklin Avenue, and ramps from Franklin Avenue serve both Interstate 610 west and 10 east. Pictured here is the Franklin Avenue on-ramp to Interstate 610 west with an Exit 3 sign bridge for Elysian Fields Avenue posted over the mainline. Interstate 610 travels a six-lane viaduct from Interstate 10 west to St. Bernard Avenue. Photo taken 06/10/06. Westbound at the Exit 3 diamond interchange with Elysian Fields Avenue (Louisiana 3021). Elysian Fields Avenue constitutes a divided surface boulevard from Pontchartrain Beach to the north to the Vieux Carre at Esplanade Avenue and Peters Street. The avenue carries the Louisiana 3021 designation from U.S. 90 (Gentilly Boulevard) southward to Louisiana 39 (Claiborne Avenue). Photo taken 06/10/06. The freeway next meets the westbound direction of U.S. 90 (New Orleans Street) at Exit 2B. U.S. 90 splits into a one-way street couplet between Gentilly Boulevard and North Broad Avenue. The couplet entails New Orleans Street south and Allen Street north through the Gentilly neighborhood of the city. Exit 2B comprises a loop ramp onto New Orleans Street south two blocks north of its merge onto North Broad Avenue. Photo taken 06/10/06. Exit 2B departs Interstate 610 westbound for U.S. 90 (New Orleans Street) west. U.S. 90 follows North Broad Avenue southwest from Gentilly to junction U.S. 61 (Tulane Avenue) near Mid City. From there U.S. 90 turns southeast toward downtown and Clairborne Avenue. St. Bernard Avenue intersects U.S. 90 nearby. Photo taken 06/10/06. A split-diamond interchange serves Paris Avenue, Gentilly Boulevard, and St. Bernard Avenue from Interstate 610 at Exit 2C (west) and Exit 2A (east). Paris Avenue travels north from St. Bernard Avenue just north of its crossing of U.S. 90. Paris Avenue like Elysian Fields Avenue encompasses a divided boulevard from Gentilly northward to the Lake Pontchartrain shoreline. Gentilly Boulevard travels east-west between the Fair Grounds Race Track and Dillard University. Photo taken 06/10/06. Interstate 610 westbound enters City Park at the Wisner Boulevard overpass near Bayou St. John. The highway resembles a parkway rather than an urban freeway between St. Bernard Avenue and Canal Boulevard (Exit 1A). Photo taken 06/10/06. Next in line for westbound travelers is the Exit 1A diamond interchange with Canal Boulevard. Canal Boulevard ventures north-south through west New Orleans, serving the Lakeview and Mid City neighborhoods from Interstate 610. Photo taken 06/10/06. Interstate 610 westbound elevates again to pass over Marconi Drive and an adjacent canal ahead of the Exit 1A off-ramp to Canal Boulevard. The freeway enters the Lakeview section of the city west of City Park. Canal Boulevard ends at City Park Avenue to the south near its intersection with Canal Street. Five blocks northward Canal Boulevard meets Harrison Street west of its entrance into City Park. Photo taken 06/10/06. Interstate 610 westbound prepares to merge with Interstate 10 west beyond the Canal Boulevard off-ramp. A three-quarter cloverleaf interchange however joins the freeway with Pontchartrain and West End Boulevards at Exit 1A. There is no northbound access however to West End Boulevard, so motorists bound for Lakeshore West and West End should use Canal Boulevard north to Harrison Street north to make the connection. Photo taken 06/10/06. Traffic delays from nearby Interstate 10 once plagued the interchange between Interstates 10 and 610. However improvements to the interchange and the mass exodus of over half of New Orleans' population do the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina have reduced the once persistent congestion. Interstate 610 west merges with Interstate 10 west beyond their respective ramps with Pontchartrain Boulevard. Pontchartrain Boulevard travels south from the Lakeview neighborhood directly onto Interstate 10 east, hence Interstate 10's name of the Pontchartrain Expressway. Exit 1B of Interstate 610 west provides access onto Interstate 10 east for downtown via the Pontchartrain Boulevard connection. Photo taken 06/10/06. Interstate 610 westbound at the Pontchartrain Boulevard overpasses. The merge with Interstate 10 west occurs ahead of the Bonnabel Boulevard interchange in Metairie. Constructed in 1999, the overpass in the background carries three lanes of travel onto Interstate 610 east from Interstate 10 east. The Exit 1B loop ramp otherwise carries motorists onto Pontchartrain Boulevard southbound ahead of its transition ramp onto the Pontchartrain Expressway (Interstate 10) south. Photo taken 06/10/06. Once on Pontchartrain Boulevard southbound, motorists encounter the loop ramp onto Interstate 610 eastbound for New Orleans East and Slidell. The ramp allows Lakeview travelers access to Interstate 10 east of downtown. Pontchartrain Boulevard otherwise defaults onto Interstate 10 east via a partial "Y" interchange ahead of the Exit 232 interchange with U.S. 61 (Airline Highway). Photo taken 06/10/06. Page Updated June 24, 2006.