Updates to be provided on Livingston Parish construction projects

Baton Rouge—The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) will host a public information open house Thursday, January 19 from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. at the Bass Pro Shops in Denham Springs. DOTD personnel will be available during the open house to provide current information on Interstate 12 construction projects and other transportation improvement initiatives in Livingston Parish.

Work to widen I-12 to six travel lanes between O’Neal Lane and Juban Road is slated for completion later this year. Meantime, ground was broken last month for a new $21.9 million effort to extend the six lane improvements beyond Juban Road to the Walker interchange. That project is scheduled for completion in mid-2013.

Through the competitive bid process, the state saved approximately $14.5 million when the lowest bid for the Juban to Walker segment came in under the original cost estimate. Governor Bobby Jindal announced at last month’s groundbreaking that the state will use the savings, combined with other federal funds, to extend the I-12 widening from the Walker interchange east toward Satsuma. DOTD anticipates accepting bids on this project by the spring of 2013.

The construction projects on Interstate 12 are part of the Geaux Wider program, a $315 million, multi-year DOTD initiative to increase capacity, improve safety and enhance mobility along a combined total of nearly 20 miles of Interstates 10 and 12 in East Baton Rouge and Livingston parishes.

For more information, contact Louisiana DOTD Customer Service at 1-877-4LADOTD (3683) or visit www.GeauxWider.com. Follow Geaux Wider on twitter @GeauxWider, and via Facebook.com/GeauxWider.

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (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.