A plan is in the works to extend Staring Lane from Burbank Drive, where it currently ends, all the way to Nicholson Drive. That’s according to city officials who have been meeting with representatives from the state Department of Transportation and Development, and have received a commitment from the state to fully fund the project, expected to cost around $8 million.
“It’s still rather conceptual,” says David Guillory, interim director of Public Works for East Baton Rouge Parish. “It’s too early to say exactly how it will be funded or how long it will take, but it will be a while, maybe four or five years [before it’s completed].”
A DOTD spokesperson says: “We have just begun preliminary discussions regarding possible roadway improvement projects. No decisions have been made at this time.” It is unclear whether the project would be included in the state’s construction budget for FY 2014 and, if so, at what priority level.
“They have different ways they could do it,” Guillory says.
As to why the state would want to fund a city-parish road construction project that is neither included in the Green Light Plan or FuturEBR, Guillory believes it would be a relatively simple and inexpensive alternative to the much-pilloried loop around the metro area.
The need for an alternative route was made clear once again in late August, when an overturned tanker truck began leaking hazardous chemicals and forced the shutdown of Interstate 10 for hours, causing gridlock throughout the city.
“Whenever the state can find a way to do these things—move traffic around effectively—they are all for it,” Guillory says.
The extension of Staring would enable traffic to flow directly from I-10, via Essen Lane and Staring, all the way to Nicholson, which is a state highway. The extension would also have another benefit, specific to residents of nearby Gardere.
Councilman Chandler Loupe, who has been pushing for the construction of a sidewalk along Gardere Lane, says it would divert traffic away from that busy street and ease congestion, rendering the need for a sidewalk less urgent.
“This wouldn’t take care of the sidewalk problem out there, but it would help a lot,” Loupe says. “It would divert almost all that traffic away from Gardere.”
“This wouldn’t take care of the sidewalk problem out there, but it would help a lot,” Loupe says. “It would divert almost all that traffic away from Gardere.”
Editor’s note: This story has been changed since its original publication to include a comment from the DOTD that was provided after deadline.
