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Traveling I-10 West

dtgunner7
Explorer
Explorer
Will be traveling from Florida to San Antonio TX. how is the interstate along panhandle thru bama and Louisiana into Texas on I-10
18 REPLIES 18

Twain
Explorer
Explorer
I-10 in west LA was terrible in '89. I'm surprised that they still haven't fixed it in 28 years. I just drove thru I-20 in Shreveport and the road was bad. Seems like I-10 is not an option so I-40 might be the route back east.
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The_Painting_Te
Explorer
Explorer
From Jacksonville to New Orleans you'll find a nice almost traffic-free ride. After that I don't know.

doxiemom11
Explorer II
Explorer II
This spring we had to travel east from TX to MS. We took 190 which runs about 20 miles north of Baton Rouge and then dropped down to I-12. Never got onto I-10. Easy drive except a lot of traffic on 61 down to I-12. Overall a much better experience than I-10. You could reverse that and do the same going west.

dtgunner7
Explorer
Explorer
Hey Thanks for information will use it to plan our route..

Harold_Fairbank
Explorer
Explorer
Whatever you do, NEVER EVER EVER take I-49/Hwy 90 down south from Baton Rouge through Lafayette.

Straight through what looks like Louisiana's iteration of a mash-up of Atlanta with the south side of Chicago, the "highway" runs right through town with stoplights every few feet, with the BIGGEST potholes this side of New Orleans. Some are a foot deep.

I had my trailer door break open driving through Lafayette, swinging back and forth like crazy. I didn't stop to close it. Lafayette is NOT the town to stop in for ANY reason. There is a giant Racetrac gas station right on the highway. Don't stop there. Locals call it a "crack station."

I'm still appalled that a major highway goes through such an area...which wouldn't be so bad if the road wasn't so God-awful or even paved properly...but I've been on Jeep trails in Colorado that weren't NEARLY as bad as this section of I-49/Hwy 90.

I've heard many a story of bent steel rims going down this section of road.

Avoid it.

one_strange_tex
Explorer
Explorer
Ditto I-12 to avoid NOLA. The real bad (rough) stretch of I-10 is right around Sulphur, LA west of Lake Charles. I don't take I-210 around Lake Charles, but I admit the I-10 bridge over the Calcasieu River is old, narrow and steep. Before you get to the TX state line the interstate goes to 3 lanes and is pretty good. Then there is currently construction just as you enter TX in Orange, making the highway rough with narrow lanes. Traversing Houston is always an experience. Bad traffic during rush hour, which is starts early and ends late, especially on holiday weekends. Outside of rush hour, you move faster, but people in cars zip around and make crazy lane changes. You might consider looping around I-610 to the north, but watch the lane changes needed to maintain your route and know that the traffic won't really be much better. The least stressful way is Sam Houston Tollway looping around to the north. More expensive, more miles, but less stressful.

Good luck and safe travels!
one_strange_texan
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Jayco1c
Explorer
Explorer
+1

I-10 through Louisiana is one of the WORST roads in the country.

Horsedoc
Explorer II
Explorer II
Unless you just WANT to go through NewOlreans, I suggest you hit 12 and go north of NO. I-10 will make a south turn just above Slidell and 12 will take you above the lake and across (west) to just south of Baton Rouge where it becomes I-10 again.
On the other hand, if you want traffic and the excitement of N O itself, stay on 10. Been both ways and will take 12 anytime.
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prichardson
Explorer
Explorer
Generally agree with Issac-1 but see no reason to avoid the I-10 bridge in Lake Charles. There is a very rough section between the Atchafalaya Basin bridge and Lafayette. Any way you cross Louisiana there will be some rough road.

NCWriter
Explorer
Explorer
Have to agree that Houston is a nightmare. Couldn't believe the massive freeways and traffic trying to get around the city from the southeast on a Sunday morning in early May this year.

Isaac-1
Explorer
Explorer
I live in SW Louisiana, and have driven I-10 in this region many, many times. From the Florida state line to San Antonio there are a number of points to be aware of.

1, Mobile bay, if you are there early in the morning be aware of the chance of heavy fog, also if passing through the Mobile bay I-10 tunnel in the afternoon the exit of the tunnel can be blindingly backlit by the not yet setting sun.

2, Bypass New Orleans, take I-12 across I-10 to I-10 where I-10 make its horse shoe dip down to New Orleans

3, Don't hit Baton Rouge at rush hour, the population of Baton Rouge sky rocketed after Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005 as everyone that could left New Orleans and relocated their businesses farther inland. There have been little if any freeway improvements since then, so the roads turn into gridlock for about 3-4 hours in the morning and 3-4 hours in the evening.

4, The atchafalaya basin bridge, about 15 miles of elevated causeway, has many of the same rush hour problems mentioned above, and if there is a accident on the bridge, be glad you are in an RV, because you may be at a standstill for several hours.

5, Now you get about 75 miles boredom

6, Lake Charles, take the I-210 bypass around town, you don't want to take the I-10 Bridge in an RV, it is 75+ years old, has no shoulders, and is one of the steepest bridges on the interstate highway system anywhere in the US. The I-210 bridge is still 40+ years old, has no shoulder, but is much more modern and not nearly as steep as the I-10 bridge, this bypass will only add a couple of miles to your trip, and may well save you on time.


I-10


vs
I-210


7, The section of I-10 from Orange TX all the way to Houston can be very busy, most of this is still only 2 lanes each direction, but is carrying the way more traffic than a 3 lane wide section should be asked to carry.

8, Houston, rule one don't hit Houston at rush hour, rule 2 see rule 1, there is no good way around Houston, so stick to I-10 it is about 75 miles of continuous city traffic east to west, including the 23 mile long Katy Freeway section of I-10, the widest section of freeway in the US. 26 lanes wide in some places

tragusa3
Explorer
Explorer
Just traveled it a month ago. From Lake Charles to Beaumont is the worst of the worst! In my opinion, it was dangerous...and few others on the road seem to recognize that. I changed my route home because of it.
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Fulltimers
Explorer
Explorer
Went through Louisiana on east bound I-10 in 2005. The worst road I have EVER been on.
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agesilaus
Explorer III
Explorer III
Yeah the sections in FL, AL and MS are all fine but the road in LA always is in horrible condition. They get money from the FEDS to maintain the interstate but the fact that the prisons have lots of Louisiana politicians in them may give you a hint of why the roads are so bad.

Once into Texas I-10 is OK once again.
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