Interstate 10 roadwork will last through hurricane season. Is the MS Coast ready?

Road construction on the Mississippi Coast’s biggest evacuation route has converged this summer to create traffic delays and frustrated drivers as the region nears the height of hurricane season.

It will not end soon.

Work at the Diamondhead exit will continue until 2026. An expansion of the interstate throughout Harrison County will last through 2027. A project near the future Buc-ee’s off Interstate 10 will end this fall.

The Mississippi Department of Transportation says the work is worth it: by the end, public information officer Anna Ehrgott said, Interstate 10 will be smoother and less congested.

Crews will work through hurricane season to accomplish that goal, she said, even as the agency prepares for a storm that could turn the interstate into an evacuation route with snarled traffic that slowly carries thousands of drivers away from the Coast.

Is I-10 ready for hurricane season?

The three construction projects will last through hurricane season, which ends Nov. 30, MDOT said.

MDOT will open as many lane closures as possible if a hurricane nears South Mississippi, Ehrgott said. She said the agency would prioritize opening lanes on evacuation routes.

Under hurricane threat, the agency also said it would stop construction and focus on emergency response.

Traffic is inevitable on I-10, which is a major evacuation route for the Coast, Louisiana and Alabama. When Hurricane Ida struck the region in 2021, thousands of cars waited as traffic inched east, away from the storm.

Authorities say the construction means advance planning is even more crucial. “If they’re going to leave, they have to leave a little earlier,” said Brian “Hooty” Adam, the director of Hancock County’s Emergency Management Agency.

If a hurricane hits, Adam said Hancock County drivers should consider other evacuation routes, like Highway 603 to Highway 53 to Highway 59 near Poplarville. He said Diamondhead residents can leave through the back of the city, through Kiln DeLisle Road.

Construction begins at Diamondhead exit

The work around the Diamondhead Exit began June 19 and will last through 2026, MDOT said.

The eastbound exit ramp is closed through July 26, according to MDOT’s traffic map. Drivers should expect ramp closures on all four ramps “over the next several months” because crews are widening each ramp on a rotating basis, Ehrgott said.

The new ramps will have two lanes instead of one. MDOT is spending $17 million at the interchange to widen the overpass and ramps and also build three roundabouts and a bike and golf cart path across the interstate, Ehrgott said last month.

Drivers can detour at the DeLisle and Pass Christian exit, then merge back on the interstate heading west to reach the Diamondhead exit.

Work nears end at Menge Avenue exit and future Buc-ee’s

Construction around the Menge Avenue exit near the site of the future Buc-ee’s travel center began last summer. Crews will complete roadwork work at the intersection this fall, Ehrgott said.

Buc-ee’s has said it expects to open in Spring 2025.

The exit overpass is still closed. In recent months, MDOT has closed lanes and exit ramps for short periods so crews can work on the bridge. Once completed, the intersection will have a new overpass and widened exit and entrance ramps.

The $15 million project funded by the Buc-ee’s and the Harrison County Board of Supervisors will prepare the intersection for an influx of traffic expected to arrive once the travel center opens.

I-10 widening from Diamondhead through Harrison County

Construction to expand I-10 from four to six lanes began in March and will last until 2027, MDOT said.

Crews are working on the interstate between Diamondhead and County Farm Road near Long Beach.

MDOT said it does not expect “major closures” in the area this summer. Traffic could slow because crews working in the median are using barricades to protect themselves from cars. Those barricades will narrow the existing lanes during construction, Ehrgott said.

The $155 million project is funded by a $60 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Why is I-10 construction happening all at once?

The overlap in construction projects is mostly because funding converged at the same time, Ehrgott said. MDOT earned a federal grant for the interstate widening when the work in Diamondhead was already planned, she said.

Both projects also include bike and walking paths that will connect to each other, she added.

Buc-ee’s chose to open in Harrison County around the same time.

State Rep. Jay McKnight, whose district includes parts of Hancock and Harrison counties, said he had heard construction complaints from Diamondhead residents.

“At the same time, I think they’re also excited,” he said. “Sometimes progress is a little painful and inconvenient for us.”

Staff Writer Mary Perez contributed reporting.