Why are there inbound lanes going into New Orleans now?

[Jane Eyre]

Earlier today, I heard on the news that people were being stopped for driving out of New Orleans on the inbound lanes. This is madness! Why on earth would the inbound lanes to New Orleans be kept open when everyone is being told to get out!!!

Granted, they may need one inbound lane for emergency vehicles or whatever. But what could be a bigger emergency right now than getting all these people out of a city that is on the verge of being obliterated? There is very little traffic going into New Orleans right now. Those lanes should have been turned into outbound lanes earlier today.

Thousands of people could die in their cars tomorrow because there weren't enough outbound lanes today.

[msongs]

1. source? nt

[Jane Eyre]

5. CNN

I saw this earlier this afternoon, around 1:00 PM. Seemed crazy to me, especially using precious resources to ticket people who are doing it. The video that I've seen since then has shown inbound lanes with very little traffic coming in.

I did just see CNN report that all lanes are outbound. About time, Katrina is due to make landfall at about 1 AM.

[JHB]

2. I think the WC said they had been used for outbound...

...I'm not sure exactly when, but it would have been sometime this afternoon.

[FloridaPat]

3. Earlier today I saw part of an interstate and they were outbound in both

inbound and outbound lanes. Maybe it's just certain areas.

[ordinaryaveragegirl]

4. According to NOLA media...

"Contraflow" was in effect for the area, so all traffic was being directed outbound on I-10 both ways.

[fishnfla]

6. Its been contralateral most of today

maybe you heard wrong?

[markus]

7. fishnfla is correct

All lanes were running contra, and they closed access to I-10 entirely about 11 am (reported via my sister, who heard it on WWL-AM) to force more people off of Interstate 10 onto alternate routes (older US 90 and 61).

[Sgent]

8. Contraflow

was supposed to close about 5:00pm

I know they extended it....

The problem is that the traffic cones turn into missles when the wind picks up to far, so they have to pick up the cones and close it down eventually.