It took BR over a year since getting plowed to figure out

how many reflectors it needed since the snow storn of January 21, 2025.

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BATON ROUGE - Driving on Baton Rouge interstates at night has become more difficult for many drivers, as some of the road reflectors designed to help guide traffic are missing.

State officials say the problem dates back to last year's rare winter snowstorm, when snowplows damaged thousands of reflectors across the region. Along stretches of Interstate 12, some reflectors that should be embedded in the roadway can now be found on the shoulder instead.

"This needs to be an urgent fix," commuter Malcom Mack said.

Mack said the missing reflectors make it harder for drivers to stay in their lanes, especially at night or during bad weather.

"It is a safety hazard," Mack said. "Having the reflectors helps people see and also keeps people in their lane because the white line doesn't stay on the ground long."

According to Rodney Mallett with the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, the damage happened during the January snowstorm, when plows cleared interstates including I-10, I-12 and I-110.

"Once that occurred, we had to go and determine how many miles of reflectors and striping had to be replaced," Mallett said.

Mallett said the repair process has taken time because the state first had to secure federal funding before putting the work out for bid.

"We had to know what we were going out to bid with. We had to get the bid," Mallett said.

The statewide project to repair damaged striping and reflectors is estimated to cost about $40 million. A smaller project in the Baton Rouge area is expected to cost about $1 million.


The incompetence here is on display before our very eyes.