LAFAYETTE, La. — With the start of hurricane season only days away, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) says preparations are well underway to ensure Acadiana’s roadways can handle evacuations, even in the midst of active construction projects.
“We don't wait until hurricane season arrives to begin the planning process. This is something that we're doing year round,” said Deidra Druilhet, a spokesperson for DOTD.
Louisiana, one of the states most frequently hit by hurricanes, relies heavily on a network of evacuation routes — many of which double as ongoing construction zones. DOTD says its year-round planning includes taking steps to ensure roadwork doesn’t impede storm evacuations.
“We're already coordinating with the contractor, so if we need to open up additional lanes, we can do that. If we need to work with them to make sure they're tying down equipment so equipment is out of the way so that motorists can travel, we're doing that as well. If it's a situation to where we need to create or construct a temporary detour road, we will do that as well,” Druilhet explained.
Coordinating a successful evacuation takes constant communication among multiple agencies, Druilhet noted, from internal DOTD teams to the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, as well as regional and local partners.
DOTD says best practices include leaving barriers in place where possible, and reconsidering travel routes to avoid the heaviest congestion.
“Oftentimes people choose to evacuate and head west. Well, everyone is doing the same thing, and so we want to encourage people to actually try and go north,” Druilhet said.
Officials emphasize that hurricane safety planning should begin well before a storm appears in the Gulf. DOTD encourages Louisiana families to use resources like 511LA.org and GetAGamePlan.org to familiarize themselves with evacuation routes and create family preparedness plans.
“There are lots of opportunities for families to plan ahead and make sure that they're doing everything they can to keep themselves and their families safe and also keeping motorists around them safe as well,” Druilhet said.
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