(The Center Square) — A winter storm swept across south Louisiana on Tuesday morning, covering New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Lafayette in a layer of snow.
Highways, roads and schools across the state have been closed — effectively stalling Louisiana’s economy.
The National Weather Service is forecasting three to seven inches of snow in Baton Rouge on Tuesday, with smaller yet likely record accumulations along the Interstate 10 corridor into Mississippi.
The closures, along with multiple other major roadways, threaten to disrupt daily life and commerce across the state.
Key closures include Louisiana’s Interstate 10 from Interstate 49 to State Route 415 (Lobdell), the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge, Bonnet Carré Spillway and the Horace Wilkinson Bridge.
The Wilkinson Bridge alone handles over 100,000 vehicles daily, and its closure is expected to exacerbate delays and congestion in the region.
Louisiana residents travel 43.9 miles on average every day, with 16.4% of trips for work-related purposes, according to the DOTD and the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
The economic toll of such disruptions is significant. Trucking, which moves 40% of Louisiana’s freight tonnage, will bear the brunt of delays, threatening the state’s 17,053 truck transportation jobs. Nationally, traffic congestion costs over $100 billion annually, with bridge and highway closures contributing heavily to these inefficiencies.
Louisiana’s reliance on trucking makes it particularly vulnerable, with industries facing increased shipping costs and delivery delays. For instance, a single day of disrupted freight transportation could cost the state millions in lost productivity and supply chain inefficiencies.
Examples from other states highlight the scale of potential impacts. In 2024, the Memphis-Arkansas Bridge closure caused a 1,750% increase in harsh driving events and significant traffic delays across multiple states, according to a study from Altitude. This led to prolonged supply chain disruptions and increased travel times by as much as 70.8% on alternate routes.
Similarly, the 2022 Ambassador Bridge protest cost $51 million per day in the U.S.-Canada trade, while journey times increased by up to 198% due to rerouted traffic.
Bridge collapses like Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge in 2024 resulted in supply chain bottlenecks, higher shipping costs, and reduced business activity across multiple sectors.
One survey found that retail, accommodation, and food service industries were among the most affected by the bridges collapse with 40% of firms reporting impacts compared to 36% that reported no impact.
The utilities, construction, transportation, and warehousing sectors saw even greater challenges, with 57% of firms expecting impacts, nearly double the 29% reporting no effect.
These findings align with the Port of Baltimore’s role as a hub for construction and heavy equipment. For example, a North Carolina poultry farm that exports through the port had to reroute shipments through Norfolk, incurring higher freight costs.
Similarly, a Virginia furniture store reported delays due to port congestion, noting, “Rerouting of container ships to Norfolk will cause delays from port congestion for both us and some of our suppliers; we also have orders expected to arrive in Baltimore that will be delayed.”
In Louisiana, closures of major arteries like Interstate 10 could lead to similar regional and interstate economic ripples, potentially costing millions in lost revenue daily.
