Baton Rouge, La. – The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) today announced, as part of the Quality Surface Program, the start of construction of a $6.7 million project to resurface 8.3 miles of La. 417 and 2.6 miles of La. 982 in Pointe Coupee and West Baton Rouge parishes.
The roadway segments being resurfaced during the project include:
- La. 417 from La. 10 to 0.5 miles south of the Morganza levee in Pointe Coupee Parish
- La. 417 from La. 973 to La. 418 in Pointe Coupee Parish
- La. 982 from the West Baton Rouge Parish line to La. 416 in Pointe Coupee Parish
- La. 982 from La. 415 to the Pointe Coupee Parish line in West Baton Rouge Parish
"Improving roadways in Louisiana helps to strengthen our economy, which is why we continue to make these investments a top priority," said DOTD Secretary Sherri H. LeBas. "Upgrading our rural roads help make our state more attractive for new business investments, and most importantly, makes our roads safer for our families and businesses using them each day."
Work on the project is scheduled to begin on Monday, August 5, and is scheduled to finish in late spring 2014.
The Quality Surface Program is a $425 million initiative to resurface and repair approximately 1,100 miles of Louisiana’s rural road segments statewide. This historic resurfacing program was made possible through legislation sponsored by Governor Bobby Jindal allowing for the bonding of the State Highway Improvement Fund (SHIF) revenue stream for non-federal aid routes. The bonded funds, combined with the SHIF’s regular funds, allow the state to improve the quality of roadways, many in rural areas that haven’t been repaired in over 30 years due to lack of funding.
In the first year of the program, projects were distributed across the state with funding and mileage divided between north and south Louisiana. With 36 parishes represented, approximately $82 million or 5,800 lane miles in projects come from north Louisiana, and approximately $70 million or 5,200 lane miles are from south Louisiana.
Many of the routes in the program are used heavily by Louisiana’s agricultural industry, which contributes approximately $10 billion per year to the state’s economy. Repairing these roads will help to support the agriculture industry by restoring the ride quality of the roadways and making it easier for farming communities to transfer their goods to market.
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 930 miles of interstate and 13,000 bridges, 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.