I never did understand this one, but yes, they will get you when you come off the elevated portion of I-55. There have been thousands of horrible wrecks on the elevated portions of the interstate highway system in Louisiana, many of them involving as many as 50 vehicles at a time. Often this is caused by fog or by sudden summer rainstorms that come up. Never heard of any problems around Ponchatoula though. Justifiably, perhaps, the speed limits on the elevated portions between New Orleans, LaPlace, and Ponchatoua, are enforced. There is very limited shoulder space up there, in fact none in the left lane, and only a limited breakdown lane on the right. There have been millions of dollars wasted on electronic signs that never worked because no employee was ever hired to get weather reports and operate them, or because the fog and/or rain is generally too localized. It can be raining cats and dogs here, but a football field away it will be dry. So why wait until a vehicle comes off the elevated to nail it? Makes no sense, as the speed limit rises back up to 70 at that point. Same thing happens at Henderson, LA where the Swamp Freeway ends...they sit at the bottom where the elevated highway ends. If you are a few seconds too quick goosing the accellerator back up to 70, you bite the big one. The only idea I have about this is that law enforcement doesn't want to make their stops on the elevated, they would rather do it in the grassy median. There have been several law enforcers killed when rear-ended during traffic stops on the elevated, so I can understand this.