Interstate 10 was closed for hours after a deadly crash and five car pile up Monday morning.

Investigators are still looking into the cause of the crash.

Even though accidents are sometimes unavoidable, State Police urge drivers to slow down in construction zones. 

Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development said the projects along I-10 will last until 2020 and they are trying to make conditions safer for drivers. 

“One of these projects we call a smart detection system,” says Bill Oliver with the DOTD. “We have message boards and sensors to show when traffic is backing up. The message boards will alert drivers that there is a stop in traffic ahead. We’ve tried to increase safety. We’ve actually reduced the types of these accidents, but unfortunately, you still have people who are distracted driving down the roadways.”

When one stretch of highway is complete, the DOTD moves on to other projects down I-10.

“We are going to have another project in July do the middle section from Breaux Bridge to Henderson. We will have construction continuing on I-10 for another 2 to 3 years,” said Oliver.

 When all projects are completed, there will be six lanes of traffic, three lanes in each direction for a large stretch of the highway runs through Acadiana. 

According to Oliver, a common concern is that some 18 wheelers are not moving over for traffic merging onto the interstate into a construction zone. But it’s the merging driver who needs is responsible to yield. 

“It’s not the responsibility of the 18 wheelers to move over into the left lane. It’s the responsibility of the merger to regulate their speed to match the traffic to be able to get in,” says Thomas Gossen with State Police. “We have an increased amount of signs up, the stripping has increased, the amount of reflectors have increased, and we’ve decreased the speed limits but it’s incumbent upon the public to follow those rules.”