Mayor Kip Holden says repairing or replacing Baton Rouge’s most vulnerable bridges will be a “key component” in the bond issue he presents to the Metro Council next month. “We are 50 years behind on infrastructure improvements, and this is a very serious matter that we must address in the interest of public safety,” Holden says. Of the roughly 300 bridges the city-parish is responsible for maintaining, 87 have a 5 rating or lower on the 9-point scale, according to the city-parish Department of Public Works. A 5 rating means “potential exists for minor rehabilitation.” Additionally, 22 bridges have a 4 rating, with “marginal potential” for being rehabbed, and a dozen have a 3 rating, meaning they’re in need of immediate attention. Seventeen others are rated 2 or below. For a list of the bridges that have low ratings, click here.
However, Metro Councilman Chandler Loupe says Holden is simply trying to strong-arm voters into approving a bond issue with scare tactics. Loupe says there is already enough money in last year’s and this year’s budgets to repair all of the 17 bridges with a rating of 2 or lower, all of which are currently closed or being repaired. “There is no bridge crisis, and actually our deficiency ratings are below the national average,” Loupe says. “It’s a fear tactic.” Read the full story here. —Steve Sanoski
