A major development today in the plan to build a new I-10 Calcasieu River Bridge. The state has announced its entered negotiations with Calcasieu Bridge Partners to finance the two-point-one billion dollar project. DOTD spokesperson Rodney Mallett said 800-million dollars will come from federal and state governments.
“This is a public-private partnership which means that the private partners will recoup some of their loss through tolling.”
Local officials have been pushing for a new I-10 Lake Charles bridge and hoping tolls would not be needed, but Mallett said area residents who get a toll tag could cross the bridge for less than a dollar once the bridge is open.
“The local auto will be a quarter of the toll tag and the largest toll will be $12.50 for large trucks.”
Passenger vehicles from outside of southwest Louisiana would pay 2.50 to 3.75 cents once the new bridge opens.
“I think it’ll be very beneficial for the community and for our state and especially for all the pass-through traffic that we get. This is something that’s been needed for a log time, and it’s great to reach this point.”
Construction could start as early as next year and take about seven years to complete.
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