As state lawmakers gear up for the spring legislative session, they got an earful this morning about the sorry condition of the state’s highways, roads and bridges.
Though the purpose of the joint legislative hearing was technically to hear public comment on infrastructure projects that have been proposed for funding this session by the state’s transportation department, it was also an opportunity for parish leaders and industry lobbyists to urge lawmakers to get aggressive about addressing a problem that keeps getting worse.
“We would absolutely encourage you to think big and think bold,” said Scott Kirkpatrick, executive director of the industry-led group CRISIS.
While Kirkpatrick said the Capital Region is grateful for recent legislative wins that will allocate funding this session for initial design work on a flyover connecting Louisiana Highway 415 and Louisiana Highway 1 and for a flyover exit ramp at College Drive and Interstate 10 in Baton Rouge, he urged lawmakers to help the region plan for the I-10 widening. The project, he said, though a potential boon to the area, could also be a nightmare.
“Right now, we’re facing six, seven, eight, maybe 10 years of construction on the mainline artery in Baton Rouge,” he said. “That can go well or that can go poorly. It can inhibit commerce or it can have a minimal impact. We need to make sure that widening is done appropriately. So that will be important to us this term.”
Planning for the project, which is being partially funded by some $350 million in GARVEE bonds, is expected to begin in earnest in 2021, Kirkpatrick tells Daily Report. He says at that time, state transportation officials, regional leaders and other stakeholders will conduct an analysis to determine whether the project should be done over fewer years with potentially greater disruption or spread out over more years, which would be less disruptive.
In the meantime, he urged lawmakers to also support efforts to find funding sources for a new south bridge.
“The Capital Region has been working on trying to get a new bridge for 40 years and, sad to say, we’ve never been successful,” said Kirkpatrick, who reminded lawmakers that Baton Rouge is the nation’s third-most congested city. “We want this to be the term where that changes. It will be up to this Legislature to determine if additional resources can be put forward.”
