Speeding Fines Now Double on I-10 Atchafalaya Basin Bridge

Motorists who choose to travel in excess of the posted speed on I-10 across the Atchafalaya Basin in Louisiana will get a very rude reminder that speeding fines have changed. In fact, as of Monday, the speeding fines for motorists who disobey the posted speed law will be paying double the traffic fine they would have been assessed just last week.

There has been a lot made about controlling traffic and controlling the speed of traffic on the raised portion of I-10 which cuts across some of the most scenic landscapes in all of the Gulf South. The "Basin Bridge" as the locals call it is about 18 miles in length and for a lot of drivers it is a study in anxiety.

The bridge itself has been the scene of some 200 crashes over the past year. Those crashes resulted in at least two fatalities and over 100 injuries. The cause of most of those crashes can be traced back to either excessive speed or distracted driving and in many cases both.

The legislature recently approved the changes in fine structure for that section of the Interstate and they even authorized the installation of speed cameras to monitor traffic across the bridge. However, officials with the Department of Transportation candidly admit the cameras won't likely be installed and operational until sometime in 2023.

But as for now, there are still old-fashioned ways of monitoring the posted speed. There are State Troopers and local law enforcement agencies that use radar. They could also use the stopwatch which is a device your radar detector won't notice to time your travel from point to point too.

But regardless of how you're caught, you can plan on paying more for the privilege of endangering the lives of other motorists because you were in a hurry. Thanks.