Interstate 610 Louisiana
Overview
Interstate 610 follows a linear course to the north of the I-10 dog leg to Mid-City, Downtown and the French Quarter in New Orleans.
Interstate 610 constitutes a crosstown route for through traffic along I-10 in central New Orleans. The six lane freeway extends east from I-10 between the Lakeview and Navarre neighborhoods. Passing through City Park, I-610 continues by the the Fairgrounds and Dillard University to converge with I-10 by the Gentilly Terrace neighborhood.
Route Information
East End – New Orleans, LA
West End – New Orleans, LA
Mileage – 4.52
Cities – New Orleans
- Junctions –
Source: December 31, 2021 Interstate Route Log and Finders List
I-610 Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT)
Source: 2016 AADT – LADOTD Traffic Monitoring
* – 2013
History
HistoryInterstate 610 was part of the urban Interstate numerology submitted to the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) by the Louisiana Department of Highways on July 25, 1958. AASHO however questioned the placement of I-10 and I-610 in New Orleans in a letter dated August 29, 1958:
This office agrees with your submission except that we question, as does the local office of the Bureau of Public Roads, whether or not your proposals 10 and 610 should not be reversed in the city of New Orleans.
The route carrying the major traffic stream should be allotted the two digit number and I am sure that you have considered this matter. However, Route 10 seems to be rather circuitous.
Nonetheless, this was eventually approved as part of the statewide numbering plan by AASHO on November 10, 1958.
Interstate 610 was constructed between I-10 and Canal Boulevard along with the Pontchartrain Expressway (I-10 from the 17th Street Canal southeast to Downtown New Orleans) in the early 1960s. Ensuing work was delayed because of a lawsuit involving construction of the highway through public parkland. The freeway was ultimately built from Canal Boulevard to I-10 at Franklin Avenue between 1972 and 1975.2
Completed on June 10, 2000, a $26.9 million project expanded the western interchange joining I-10/610 at Lakewood in New Orleans. With plans originating in the 1970s, work commenced in January 1998. I-10 was expanded to three eastbound lanes through the split with I-610, and to four eastbound lanes from West End Boulevard southward to Downtown.1
 Photo Guides
 Photo GuidesEast End 
– Gentilly Terrace, New Orleans, Louisiana
East at 
I-610 runs along a viaduct system from between the St. Roch and Gentilly Terrace communities east to the wye interchange with I-10. Exit 3 joins the freeway with Elysian Fields Avenue, LA 3121 north to U.S. 90 (Gentilly Boulevard) and south to Claiborne Avenue (LA 39). 05/09/15
Exit 4 lowers from Interstate 610 to Franklin Avenue. A two lane flyover follows onto I-10 east ahead of Louisa Street and the High Rise bridge. The LADOTD geographic features file references the east end point for I-610 at Franklin Avenue. 05/09/15
West at
I-10 curves southward from Gentilly Woods onto a viaduct leading to the wye interchange (Exit 238B) with Interstate 610 west. 05/09/15
A half diamond interchange (Exit 238A) joins Interstate 10 west with Franklin Avenue ahead of the split with I-610. Ramps connect Franklin Avenue with I-610 west and from I-610 east as well. 05/09/15
Interstate 10 continues southwest to the French Quarter and the New Orleans Central Business District as I-610 beelines westward to City Park, Lakeview and I-10 at Metairie. 05/09/15
East at
A wye interchange joins the east end of I-610 with Interstate 10 above Franklin Avenue at the St. Roch neighborhood in New Orleans. 05/11/22
East End – Throwback
Interstate 610 east at I-10 in 2002.
West End / West End Boulevard – Lakeview, New Orleans, Louisiana
West at
Exit 1A departs I-610 west for Canal Boulevard to the Lakeview and Navarre neighborhoods. A three quarter cloverleaf interchange (Exit 1B) follows with Pontchartrain Boulevard south to I-10 east. 05/09/15
Pontchartrain Boulevard connects I-610 west with I-10 east to Mid-City and Downtown at an adjacent wye interchange via Exit 1B. 05/09/15
Interstate 610 west passes under West End and Pontchartrain Boulevards ahead of the merge with I-10 at 17th Street Canal. Interstate 10 continues west across Metairie and Jefferson Parish. 05/09/15
East at
The first guide sign for I-610 appears at the collector distributor roadway (Exit 228) for Causeway and Bonnabel Boulevards. A $100 million project between April 2009 and Summer 2012 upgraded the cloverleaf interchange here. 05/11/22
Passing over Bonnabel Boulevard, Interstate 10 carries ten overall lanes between Causeway Boulevard and the 17th Street Canal. Widening of I-10 east to I-610 through Metairie was completed in 2009. 05/11/22
Left Exit 230 represents the third in a series of Interstate end points along I-10 east over a 30 mile stretch. The previous two were I-310 at Exit 220 and I-55 at Exit 210. 05/11/22
I-610 continues east from Exit 230 to Lakeview and City Park as I-10 turns southeast along the Pontchartrain Expressway to the Central Business District and the Crescent City Connection bridge (U.S. 90 Business) to the Westbank. 05/11/22
West End – Throwback
2002 and 2003 photos showing the previous lane configuration for I-10 east at I-610 through Metairie.
Sources:
- “I-10 Roadwork Pops the Cork on Bottleneck – $27 Million Project Buys Time for Drivers.” The Times-Picayune (New Orleans, LA), June 13, 2000.
- Interstate 610 (Louisiana). Wikipedia.
Page updated July 2, 2022.