Louisiana officials: I-10 closed until early December

UPDATE: According to AmericanPress.com, this stretch of I-10 has reopened.

Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) officials have announced that Interstate 10 between Lafayette and Baton Rouge will be closed through December 4^th while crews battle a natural gas well fire near Ramah.

According to Louisiana Motor Transport Association (LMTA) executive director Cathy F. Gautreaux, the continued closure of I-10, which is a major freight and intermodal route, will cause delays, increase costs and possibly disrupt shipping schedules.

DOTD officials ask the trucking industry to take alternative routes, urging truckers to use I-20 across northern Louisiana, if possible.