BATON ROUGE — Drivers along Greenwell Springs Road will soon notice a new safety feature aimed at keeping cars in their lanes. The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development is in the midst of a major project to reduce crashes in northern East Baton Rouge Parish.

Work is underway installing rumble strips vibrating grooves that alert drivers when they begin to cross the yellow or white lines. The project covers about 20 miles along Greenwell Springs Road and is part of a larger 40-mile safety effort across northern East Baton Rouge Parish.

“Safety is definitely a priority,” said Rodney Mallett with DOTD.

The roughly $1 million project includes centerline and shoulder rumble strips, new striping, and reflective markers. DOTD says these measures are proven to prevent roadway departures and deadly head-on collisions.

“We’re putting rumble strips and some new striping—centerline rumble strips, edge rumble strips, striping, and some reflective buttons,” Mallett said. “All a part of our statewide roadway departure implementation plan.”

Rumble strips are a low-cost solution designed to save lives by alerting drivers the moment they begin to drift out of their lane.

“When you start to drift across that center line or across the edge line, it makes a loud noise and brings your attention back to the road,” Mallett said.

He said that the timing is critical as distracted driving, speeding, and other unsafe behaviors continue to contribute to crashes across the state.

“Driving distracted, speeding, not wearing your seatbelt—these are all common problems across the state. We’re putting down the rumble strips and the stripes to help safety and help people pay attention,” Mallett said.

DOTD crews are still installing the rumble strips, with final striping expected early next year to complete the Greenwell Springs Road project. Drivers are urged to be mindful of crews working along the roadway as construction continues.