Lake Charles Traffic Nightmares: 5 Streets & Roads to Avoid

Lake Charles, La [KNGT-FM] - If you drive around Lake Charles and Southwest Louisiana, then you already know that traffic is horrible. From road construction that lasted almost a year on the I-210 bridge to the current construction situation on I-10 with the new bridge construction underway, to street work all over the city, it seems nearly impossible to navigate around the area without getting stopped by traffic.

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On top of that, where did all these people come from? I grew up in Lake Charles and have been here all of my life, and I don't ever remember seeing this many vehicles on the road, ever. Certain streets in Lake Charles, Moss Bluff, and across Southwest Louisiana are a nightmare to travel down.

Read More: Info on the construction of the I-10 Bridge in Lake Charles

You know the ones we are talking about. The streets where it seems like the traffic never stops. The ones that take you 10 minutes or more to pull out of a business to merge onto the street without getting run over, or where it seems that a thousand cars are coming down the road, and you feel like you will never be able to pull out.

Top 5 Lake Charles & SWLA Streets to Avoid

Nelson Road in Lake Charles

The busiest roadway in the city of Lake Charles. Even though it is four-laned from I-210 South into Lake Charles, it is by far the busiest roadway in the city. It is a hassle to not only drive down this road, but also not try and pull out of a business onto Nelson. You will be there forever.

North Perkins Ferry Road in Moss Bluff

This road runs North and South from Sam Houston Jones Parkway up to where it merges with Highway 171 just North of Gillis. The bad thing about this road is that it's only two lanes, one Northbound and one Southbound lane, and a ton of vehicles go down it daily.

Highway 14 & I-210 in Lake Charles

One of the worst intersections in Lake Charles. Mostly has to do with the fact that there are a ton of businesses at the intersection and down Highway 14, or some call it Gerstner Memorial Highway. It is basically Nelson Road's little brother.

Interstate I-10 Bridge in Lake Charles

Not only is the bridge one of the scariest you will ever drive across, but it's old. The 70+ year old bridge is very narrow and is always causing traffic tie-ups, crashes, or slowdowns, making it a nightmare for locals to navigate. Not only are you dealing with local traffic, but I-10 is a major highway that runs from Jacksonville, Florida, to Los Angeles, California, so there is a ton of highway traffic to add to the mix.

I-10 at the Westlake Exit Westbound

The thorn in most motorists' sides right now in Southwest Louisiana is located here. They have the Westlake, Louisiana, exit closed Westbound, so if you are coming from Lake Charles over the bridge, you will have to take the PPG drive exit and then loop around and get back on the interstate Eastbound to access getting into the city of Westlake. This is problematic for folks who work in Lake Charles but live in Westlake or Moss Bluff and use this exit to get home. Their commute is just a little bit longer.