BATON ROUGE, La. – The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) and the Ouachita Parish Police Jury announced today that the bid letting date for the Finks Hideaway Road Improvement Project has been moved to March 2012.
The original letting date for the project was October 2010, but was moved to March 2011 due to pending right-of-way acquisitions by the Ouachita Parish Police Jury. The new 2012 letting date was moved based on the updated right-of-way acquisition completion date, which the police jury projects to have completed in December 2011. DOTD and parish officials met to agree upon the revised right-of-way acquisition and letting schedule.
The project will widen Finks Hideaway from two to five lanes between U.S. 165 and Holland Drive, in addition to installing traffic signals and turn lanes at Old Sterlington Road. Construction will be handled by the Ouachita Police Jury with oversight from DOTD.
The $7.5-$10 million project will be funded with local and federal funds.
Significant progress has been made in the right-of-way acquisition process by the current Ouachita Parish Police Jury engineer, who has been overseeing the process since September 2009.
DOTD and parish officials will meet today at noon with the Ouachita Council of Governments to discuss the status of this project. The meeting will be held at the Monroe City Hall.
DOTD is committed to delivering transportation and public works systems that enhance the quality of life. In addition to more than 16,600 miles of roadway, including over 890 miles of interstate, DOTD supports the development of the state’s aviation, marine and rail infrastructures. Through this work, we are able to facilitate economic development, create job opportunities, improve vital evacuation routes, and make critical freight corridors safer and more efficient.
For more information, please visit www.dotd.la.gov, email dotdcs@la.gov, or call DOTD’s Customer Service Center at (225) 379-1232 or 1-877-4LADOTD (1-877-452-3683). Business hours are 7:30 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Motorists can access up-to-date travel information by dialing 511 or by visiting www.511la.org. Out of-state travelers can call 1-888-ROAD-511 (1-888-762-3511).