Governor Jeff Landry said a new deal has been struck to build a new I-10 Calcasieu River Bridge. Landry said this plan reduces the overall cost of the bridge by 25%. He said federal and state dollars will pay for the bridge, plus tolls, but not as high as proposed by the Edwards Administration.
“The tolls across the board have been dramatically reduced, in my opinion. They’ve been reduced by some 26%,” said Landry.
Landry said because of Lake Charles’s proximity to Texas, 60% of the people paying the tolls will be from outside of Louisiana.
Landry said the state will also get 15% equity in the bridge under the deal negotiated with Calcasieu Bridge Partners. He said that means 15% of the profits will go back to the area. The governor said that money can be used to reduce tolls or fund other projects.
“And that money is going to be locked down for Imperial Calcasieu. It’s not going anywhere else but right here in Imperial Calcasieu,” said Landry.
The Louisiana Motor Transport Association opposed the financing plan proposed last year by the Edwards administration and they do not like Landry’s plan, even though it reduces the toll for trucks to cross the bridge from $12.50 to $8.25.
“It still largely will be funded on the backs of truckers, and the way that this toll is specifically set up, it will disadvantage our homegrown state Louisiana truckers,” said Rena Amar, LMTA Director.
It could cost two billion dollars to replace the Calcasieu River Bridge built in 1952. Amar said no other stretch of I-10 from California and Florida is tolled and believes federal and state tax dollars should pay for construction…
“If maybe the government can figure out how they can prioritize what needed projects are, maybe they could find the money eventually,” said Amar.
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