La. 1 project receives more funding

The ongoing construction of a new, elevated highway from Golden Meadow to Port Fourchon received a shot in the arm recently when the project got a significant monetary boost.

Nearly $35 million in Coastal Impact Assistance Project (CIAP) monies are slated to be used for construction of the southern segment of the project, according to Henri Boulet, head of the LA1 Coalition, a group working to obtain funding for the upgrade.

The lion’s share of the funding—$33 millionnis dedicated directly to the project; the remaining $2 million will be allocated from the $9 million share of CIAP funds awarded to Lafourche Parish.

Work on the first segment of the projectnreplacing the aging Leeville lift span bridge n is ongoing. A new, modern overpass crossing Bayou Lafourche just west of the current structure is being installed.

The completion date for the new overpass is 2009, however, Boulet noted the work could be finished as early as Spring 2009. Therefore, the unreliability of the old lift bridge may not be an issue during that hurricane season.

“[Workers] are slightly ahead of schedule and we are hoping they can continue the current pace,” Boulet said.

The $35 million CIAP monies will be used to fund the southern-most segment of La. 1, which is a little more than a 5-mile segment running from the southern end of the overpass to the intersection of La. 3090.

La. 3090 serves as the access road to Port Fourchon.

In all, the segment is expected to cost nearly $144 million to complete; however, Boulet acknowledged that Gov. Kathleen Blanco has committed almost $100 million to the project. Those monies should be released during the upcoming state legislative session this spring, he said.

Once of the funding for the southern section is secured, Boulet said the entire stretch would be completed four years from the commencement of construction.

A groundbreaking ceremony is slated for April 3 as preliminary work begins on this section.

The push to obtain funding for the final segment of the elevated roadway is expected to start soon, according to officials. According to Boulet, the northern segment is expected to be the most expensive, carrying a price tag of nearly $250 million.

The eight-mile segment will extend from the northern end of the Leeville overpass and will end at the intersection of La. 3235, just south of the Golden Meadow town limit.