BATON ROUGE, La. – Louisiana’s largest transportation program in state history continued to progress in Fiscal Year 2006 (FY 2006) despite the impacts of the hurricanes last year, announced the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development in the TIMED Program 2006 annual report.

The state’s $4.7 billion TIMED transportation program is widening more than 500 miles of state highways, including vital evacuation routes U.S. 171, U.S. 165 and U.S. 167. In FY 2006, some of the TIMED program milestones included:

• more than $1.1 billion in active construction contracts

• 209 miles of roadway under construction

• broke ground on the new Mississippi River Bridge connecting New Roads and St.

Francisville, the John James Audubon Bridge

• began the four-phase widening project on the Huey P. Long Bridge in New Orleans

• completed 27 additional miles of four-lane roadway construction

The TIMED FY 2006 closed on June 30 and the annual report reflecting on this past year is now available to the public. Copies may be obtained by calling (866) 846-3352 or by visiting www.timedla.com.

Since the close of FY 2006, the TIMED Program has realized additional progress and accomplishment, including the completion of the sixth TIMED project corridor. The West Napoleon Corridor was completely opened to traffic on September 26, 2006.

In the early months of FY 2007, the TIMED Program also completed a successful two-week tour of the state. The “TIMED Tour” distributed information on current and upcoming TIMED construction in 16 cities aorund Louisiana and answered questions concerning the Program.

And most recently, the TIMED Program received additional support with the final closing of the $1.1 billion bond sale on November 1. The additional funding allows TIMED Program projects to progress without waiting on the dedicated TIMED gas tax to be collected.

The TIMED Program was created by legislation in 1989 and is funded by a dedicated four-cents-per-gallon gasoline and special fuels tax. The gas tax will be in place until the bonds are repaid. The $4.7 billion program includes 16 specific transportation projects that include four-laning 536 miles of state highways, widening and /or new construction on three major bridges and improvements to both the Port of New Orleans and Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. The Program is designed to enhance economic development in Louisiana through an investment in transportation projects.

For more information on the TIMED Program, contact the Public Outreach Office at (866) 846-3352 or visit www.timedla.com.

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