Louisiana DOTD adding cameras, sensors to curb deadly accidents on Interstate 10

An $8 million project by the state Department of Transportation and Development is geared toward curbing the number of deadly crashes along Interstate 10 in Iberville, East Baton Rouge and West Baton Rouge parishes.

A “queue warning system” stretching from the three parishes will use cameras, vehicle detectors, flashing beacons and a message sign to alert motorists of traffic stalls or slow-downs along the 16-mile artery.

“These monitors will show when traffic is slowing,” Iberville Parish Sheriff Brett Stassi said. “We’re all trying to wake people up to let those coming out of the woods at 70 miles per hour to know that there’s stopped traffic. If they do that on the twin span and we slow them down, all that will work together.”

“The purpose of this queue warning system is to warn motorists of queues ahead on I-10 from LA 77 to LA 1 in the West Baton Rouge area, and improve safety on this stretch of I-10,” DOTD spokesman Rodney Mallett. “The detectors detect vehicles as the drive by without stopping or slowing down, meaning no queue has been formed ahead, and in this situation the queue warning system will not be activated.

“However, if the detectors detect that the vehicles are stopped on the road, or moving very slowly, or in a slow move and stop situation, then there is a queue formed or forming ahead. This will activate the queue warning system – The TMC will be alerted, a warning message on the queue ahead will be posted on the DMS sign, the flashing beacons will start flashing to warn motorists about the queue ahead and be ready/ or to slow down. Once the queue is no longer there, the system will deactivate.”