DOTD gathers comments at MRB South public meetings, moves on to next step
Friday, March 13, 2026 at 11:17:05 AM
BATON ROUGE -- More than 150 people attended two public meetings hosted by the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) regarding the proposed Mississippi River Bridge project that would connect LA 1 and LA 30 in Iberville Parish.
The meetings were held as part of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process required for federal review and approval by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).
“The number of people who attended these meetings is impressive,” said DOTD Secretary Glenn Ledet. “As part of the transformation of DOTD, we want to be as transparent as possible, and for the public to be actively involved like they have been for this project is a win for the state. We look forward to moving on to the next step of the environmental process as we move closer to making this much-needed bridge a reality.”
The meetings were held March 10 in Plaquemine and March 12 in St. Gabriel. During the meetings, attendees had the opportunity to review the three preferred alternatives for the project, view conceptual designs for potential interchanges on both sides of the Mississippi River, and ask questions from DOTD staff and project consultants.
Now that the public meetings are complete, DOTD will review and consider public comments as part of the evaluation process to determine the final preferred alternative. The selection will consider factors including predicted traffic volumes, environmental impacts, community impacts, costs, constructability, and public input.
DOTD expects to present the final preferred alternative as part of an Environmental Assessment (EA) by December 2026. The public will have an opportunity to review the EA and provide comments during a public hearing held as part of the NEPA process.
For more information about the project and to view the presentations at the meeting, visit www.mrbsouth.com
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