LA 1 gets $33M CIAP grant

Funding for the completion of the elevated highway in south Lafourche took a huge step forward last week when Sen. David Vitter announced the Louisiana Dept. of Natural Resources will receive a total of $33 million in grants through the Coastal Impact Assistance Program (CIAP) for improvements to Louisiana Highway 1.

“Highway 1 is a vital transportation route in south Louisiana, and these funds are absolutely critical to its continued role in energy production and hurricane preparedness,” said Vitter in a press release.

The grant money will help fund the construction of the six-mile elevated highway between Leeville and Fourchon as part of phase 1A.

“They are currently building phase 1A, and it is close to 50 percent completion,” said La. 1 Coalition Executive Director Henri Boulet. “We are very grateful that in 2006 the Louisiana Dept. of Natural Resources agreed to submit the La. 1 project for a percentage of the CIAP monies that were going to be awarded out.”

CIAP allocates a portion of revenues from oil and gas leases in federal waters to local and state governments to mitigate the impacts of the natural resource activities in their jurisdictions.

Boulet said the estimated completion date of phase 1A is Nov. 11, 2011.

“We are looking forward to that date, because we will have achieved a greater step in making La. 1 more resilient,” he said.

Building the remaining portion of the elevated highway should cost about $300 million, according to Boulet.

“We are working very hard at this time to secure construction funds for the Golden Meadow to Leeville segment, which is 8.3 miles of elevated highway,” he explained.

Boulet added right of way acquisition work and geo-technical fieldwork on this phase are already under way.

Construction of Phase 1A of the elevated highway is close to 50 percent complete. This phase of the bridge will span from Leeville to Fourchon, and the estimated completion date is Nov. 11, 2011. * Photo provided by LA 1 COALITION