It isn’t the $500-million that Governor John Bel Edwards wanted, but the budget bill headed to the Senate floor for approval includes $300-million in seed money for a new Mississippi River Bridge in Baton Rouge. State Transportation Secretary Shawn Wilson says the money will be used to draw down federal dollars.
“The reality is the more money we get on the Mississippi River Bridge, the more money we can leverage,” said Wilson. “So this $300-million will be very helpful. It will go a long way in us asking for more dollars.”
The budget also sets aside $100-million to replace the Lake Charles Bridge. Wilson says that the legislature dedicating funds for the projects makes getting additional dollars from private sources a real possibility, which could speed up both the financing and completion of the bridges.
“The bridge in Baton Rouge and the bridge in Calcasieu are both being contemplated and considered to be public-private partnership procurements,” he said. “It allows us to move a lot further, a lot faster than we would in a traditional environment.”
In total, the budget bill earmarks more than half a billion dollars for the construction of a new Mississippi River Bridge in Baton Rouge, the extension of I-49 South, and a new Lake Charles bridge, with an additional $150-million set aside for other projects. Wilson says it’s a great starting point.
“We’re gonna see an additional $150-million, outside of the mega-projects advance,” Wilson added. “So we appreciate their commitment to doing what we’ve always advocated for, which is a comprehensive and balanced transportation agenda.”
Wilson says the administration will continue to work with the legislature on securing additional funding to ensure that these critical infrastructure improvements happen.
Comments