Tuesday, December 24, 2024

LADOTD seeks public input on fixing roads, infrastructure upgrades

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PINEVILLE, La. (KALB) – It is no secret that roads in Louisiana are in need of repair.

That’s why the State Department of Transportation and Development has hosted public hearings for citizens to provide input on their plans for the upcoming fiscal year.

One such hearing was hosted in Pineville on Wednesday, October 16. There, State Representatives from the House Committee on Transportation, Highways and Public Works, including several from Cenla‘s legislative delegation listened to concerns from the public about areas across LADOTD’s District Eight.

A map of the planned projects in LADOTD’s eighth district for fiscal years 24-25 & 25-26.(LADOTD)

District Eight covers Sabine, Natchitoches, Winn, Grant, Rapides, Vernon and Avoyelles Parish. Many in the audience were eager to share their concerns with District Eight’s infrastructure, roads and everything in-between.

“We have a hotspot for potential development on Brownsville Road, which is near the intersection of MacArthur Drive and Bayou Rapides,” said Marcus Connella, the City of Alexandria’s Director of Utilities. “And it’s already, there’s some significant traffic impacts now, and we know there’s gonna be future impacts that we need to be looking at.”

A major concern raised deals with the infrastructure of Louisiana’s ports, which helps to boost the economy across the Pelican State.

“Our backlog for the Port Priority Program right now is $175 million,” said Jennifer Marusak, the Executive Director of the Ports Association of Louisiana. “And I want you to keep it in mind that since its inception in ’89, the legislature has appropriated a total of a little more than 700 million to our port system, 29 ports, splitting up that 700 million.”

Pineville’s State Representative Mike Johnson, raised concerns regarding trees in danger of falling onto roadways.

“I’m heading up the committee that’s dealing with this,” said State Rep Johnson. “The governor is looking at a statewide declaration that addresses this.”

State Rep. Johnson spearheads the State House Emergency Beetle Subcommittee of the House Committee on Agriculture and has concerns on not only the trees around roads, but also Highway 28 East in Pineville, a key connecter to and from Central Louisiana.

“We can improve the growth of that area, opportunities in those areas, the ease of travel, and certainly the safety,” said State Rep Mike Johnson.

The tricky part is handling the funding to support these projects. But a few of the concerns have softened, thanks to LADOT receiving $67.5 million of supplemental funding in August. District 8, like each DOTD district, is set to receive $7.5 million dollars of the funding.

“The number one is keeping the state highway system in a state of good repair,” said Joe Donahue, Secretary of LADOTD. “And that is reflective of the funding that this delegation and the rest of the legislature provided to DOTD over the course of the last session.”

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