DOTD/ BR Green partner to replace trees cut during construction
Monday, October 11, 2021 at 9:39:11 AM
Baton Rouge- The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development announces that construction on the I-10/I-12 westbound College Dr. ramp project will begin by the end of October. Crews will begin clearing and grubbing, which will result in the removal of some trees along the I-10 and I-12 interchange. In an effort to address environmental and community concerns, each tree cut will be replaced with two new trees. These will be planted and established by Baton Rouge Green, who will also establish a plan to protect any remaining trees in the project area during construction.
“In order to move forward with this project, we must clear some of the trees in this area to allow for the construction of the new ramp,” said DOTD Secretary Shawn D. Wilson, Ph. D. “It is unfortunate that we must do so. However, we have pledged to replace each tree cut with two new ones. We will make every effort to preserve as many trees as possible and keep the aesthetic appeal these offer for this corridor. To ensure we have the best possible scenario, we have partnered with Baton Rouge Green. They are experts in the field and have been beneficial to our community for a long time.”
Baton Rouge Green, a non-profit organization, has been actively leading the planting and sustaining of trees and green spaces in the community since 1987. You can learn more here.
"We were devastated when we learned of the tree removals. Years of time, care and philanthropic resources have gone into every one of our 4000+ Living Roadways trees. However, we are very encouraged by DOTD's commitment to replanting two trees for each one lost. The partnership we have developed with DOTD and the contractor is a new model for all parties involved. We look forward to reimagining this entire corridor and replanting using only native species, while putting to use the decades of knowledge and experience we have accumulated doing this work,” said Baton Rouge Green Executive Director Sage Foley.
To learn more about Baton Rouge Green and DOTD’s efforts for the College Drive Ramp project, go to the DOTD Facebook page or YouTube channel.
The I-10/I-12 College Dr. Flyover project is a $52.3 million design-build project that will eliminate the need for an additional structure by realigning the existing I-12 westbound traffic to more closely follow that of the I-12 eastbound alignment, and by spanning both I-12 eastbound and I-12 westbound with a new I-10 westbound bridge. This will allow westbound traffic to exit to College Drive without crossing through mainline interstate traffic.
This new exit is one part of a multi-phased project that will widen I-10 from LA 415 in West Baton Rouge to the I-10/12 split in East Baton Rouge. Construction on the new exit is estimated to be completed in late 2022.