If the Metro Council approves a proposed bond refinancing at this evening’s meeting, Mayor Kip Holden says work on five Green Light Plan projects would speed up through an infusion of an additional $40 million. Holden says the extra money would be used to improve the following roadways, as outlined in the Green Light Plan:
- O’Neal Lane, from George O’Neal to South Harrell’s Ferry Road.
- Glen Oaks Drive, from Plank Road to McClelland Drive.
- Nicholson Drive, from Brightside to Gourrier Avenue.
- Jones Creek Road, from Jefferson Highway to Tiger Bend Road.
- Creation of a new road connecting Highland Road and Burbank Drive.
“The refinancing will accelerate the construction of the O’Neal Lane project by four years, and the Jones Creek Road project by two years, and the other three projects by five to six years,” according to a release from Holden’s office. Complete details on all of the projects is available at the Green Light Plan website.
To date, the Green Light Plan has appropriated $579.4 million and spent $508.2 million. An additional $285.7 million will be required to complete the priority road program, bringing the total estimated cost to about $793.9 million. East Baton Rouge Parish voters in 2005 approved an half-cent sales tax that funds the Green Light Plan through 2030.
Daily Report has more on other issues the Metro Council will take up at this afternoon’s meeting, including raising rental car fees at the Baton Rouge Metro Airport to help pay for about $6 million in improvements. The council convenes on the third floor of City Hall, 222 St. Louis St., at 4 p.m.
