Gautreaux: Future I-49 work is moot if spending cap isn’t raised

Reynauld Songy
May 7, 2007
Steve Collins
May 9, 2007
Reynauld Songy
May 7, 2007
Steve Collins
May 9, 2007

Dear Editor,

As legislators, lobbyist and political writers and pundits gathered at the Capitol this week conversations on all topics eventually evolved into the subject of the fall elections. In legislative races the interest is mostly focused on members who are termed out but running for the opposite chamber and there are a few of those.


In the race for the Governor’s Mansion changes in party affiliation, the emergence of political novices and multi-million dollar self-funded campaigns brings new interest and speculation to the outcome. What we’re sure of is an interesting political season.


Political posturing on the budget started as early as Gov. Blanco’s address to the Legislature in the opening ceremony. While most legislators believe that we need to address the items in the governor’s package there is not universal agreement as to the formula.

The one thing every legislator and the administration agree upon is that we need to spend more money on highway construction. But that’s also where the agreement stops. Ideas on where the money needs to be spent are split right along speech accents. In other words, legislators who talk funny think the bulk of the money needs to be spent above I-20 but that’s not to say that those along the coast are in total agreement on how to best get the job done.


One of the positives that came out of the Foster administration was the building of overpasses and limited access along U.S. Highway 90. Gov. Foster knew that promoting Future I-49 and building Interstate compliant interchanges would not only speed the process of acceptance into the Federal system but would promote business and save lives.


There is no doubt as to the effectiveness of that effort.

There is a coalition of sorts promoting the idea of running I-49 through undeveloped land east of Breaux Bridge tying into U.S. 90 just east of Broussard. The estimates of cost savings of this plan rather than going through Lafayette are roughly two-thirds. This savings alone would allow for providing Interstate grade highway from I-10 to Bayou Lafourche.

However, the Lafayette Chamber is against any plan that doesn’t go through their city and they have been effective in blocking alternate plans.

In addition to future I-49 state roads across the state are deteriorating a rate much faster than we can afford to tackle. The Department of Transportation has a set priority list of roads needing attention and as the money becomes available contracts are awarded. Highway funding hasn’t tracked the accelerated deterioration rate much less inflation.

Any arguments on increases in highway funding from surplus dollars are moot if we don’t raise the funding cap and put those dollars to non-recurring expenses.

In light of the fact that the cost of road building and road maintenance goes up at a rate of approximately one-percent per month, I believe that raising the cap is the fiscally responsible thing to do. There are powerful special interest groups lobbying legislators to not raise the cap and with elections coming up this fall it is doubtful that we will get the two-thirds vote to do so.

Sen. Butch Gautreaux

District 21, Morgan City