DOTD celebrates groundbreaking of Tarbutton Road interchange project in Lincoln Parish
Wednesday, October 11, 2017 at 4:41:58 PM
DOTD celebrates groundbreaking of Tarbutton Road interchange project in Lincoln Parish
RUSTON, La. - Today, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development and Secretary Dr. Shawn Wilson celebrated the groundbreaking of the Tarbutton Road and I-20 interchange project in Lincoln Parish.
“We’re excited to break ground today on a project that will have a significant impact on mobility by the creation of brand new access to the interstate,” said Dr. Wilson.
The $25.5 million dollar project was awarded in February 2017 to JB James Construction, LLC., and will include removing the existing Tarbutton Road overpass. A new overpass and associated interstate ramps will be built, as there is currently no access to I-20 from Tarbutton Road.
“We’ve got major projects happening in Lincoln Parish, including this one we’re celebrating here today,” said Rep. Rob Shadoin (R-Ruston). “But it’s not so much the dirt and materials. It’s the people in Ruston and Lincoln Parish that make this area stand apart.”
This project is significant, not only for improved traffic flow, but also on the educational front in Lincoln Parish. Ruston Junior High School, Louisiana Tech University, and Grambling State University will all benefit from the upgraded roadway and new access ramps.
“This is going to be a front door to these universities,” added Dr. Wilson. “As someone who believes in higher education, this type of infrastructure investment is necessary to attract people to the University campuses and will spark economic investment because it will open so much land and opportunity at the interchange.”
For major events at either LA Tech or GSU, the new ramps can be used to get traffic off of I-20 in both the Eastbound and Westbound directions in the event that the existing ramps are full, providing congestion relief to the corridor.
The Tarbutton Road interchange project also brings with it the potential for additional economic development through businesses seeking highly visible access on I-20.
This project wouldn’t be possible without vital cooperation and partnerships with the City of Ruston, which contributed $2.6 million dollars toward the construction costs, as well as funding for the design, right-of-way acquisition, utility relocations and on-site inspections.
$14.6 million for the project comes from state funding and $8.3 million is made up of federal money.
“This has been a true partnership between the federal government, the state government, and the City of Ruston,” said Ruston Mayor Ronny Walker. “We appreciate Dr. Wilson and DOTD always being available to take our calls and working to make this project a reality.”
The project is expected to take approximately three years to complete, with progress dependent on weather conditions.
(Groundbreaking ceremony for Tarbutton Road interchange project at I-20 in Ruston, Lincoln Parish)
(DOTD Secretary Dr. Shawn Wilson & Ruston Mayor Ronny Walker)
(Tarbutton Road interchange project site at I-20 in Ruston, Lincoln Parish)