I-49 development on menu

Members of the Acadiana Regional Alliance will focus their attention on the long proposed Interstate 49 plan during their 7 a.m. breakfast meeting Thursday at Petroleum Club in Lafayette.

Presentations during the meeting are to be made by Rep. Charles Boustany, Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development Deputy Secretary Eric Kalivoda, St. Mary Parish President Paul Naquin and Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Rob Guidry.

Anticipated designation and development of U.S. Highway 90 into an Interstate highway routed through the Tri-parish region to link the New Orleans metropolitan area to Lafayette, where it would join the existing Interstate 49 that extends north to Shreveport, has been promoted since 1984.

St. Mary Parish Director of Economic Development Frank Fink said that looking toward the future and taking into consideration the unique needs of the region will be critical in trying to secure Interstate designation for the roadway and rebuilding it to provide access to areas for development.

“The Acadiana Regional Alliance has identified as our No. 1 issue the completion of I-49,” Fink said. “From St. Mary Parish’s perspective we have eight miles to complete. What we really have discovered is that a lot of attention is given to the major metropolitan areas, [but] our perspective is to have an initial cost that is not detrimental to economic development [in currently rural areas].”

Fink said that building an Interstate highway needs to offer flow, but also provide service roads and exits so as not to block property that can be developed. “We made a concerted effort in St. Mary to look at the whole segment,” Fink said.

Local government and business leaders complain that politics have played a role in the past and left the Tri-parish region as losing on having an Interstate highway.

“Rural parishes can lose if it is not properly designed,” Fink said. “But this is also an evacuation route. We have to take that into consideration. I think a well-designed highway with access roads is critical. What you are going to see in the future is more elevation and good service roads. You have to think about who your businesses are. We are oil related with the west end being sugar cane. We are not going to block either.”

The ARA is a coalition of 11 parish government and economic development agencies that unite their interests for a region that includes St. Mary, St. Martin, Iberia, St. Landry, Lafayette, Vermillion, Acadia and Jefferson Davis parishes. The alliance works to promote their common interests that impact the business community. They advocate initiatives that can be accomplished in public private ventures involving business with local, state and federal offices.

In order to succeed in their goal of securing Interstate 49 designation, Fink said the ARA and other area businesses and government leaders need to think beyond what is present today and consider what might be available in the future. “You have to design for future growth,” he said.