Governor John Bel Edwards signed a bill Friday morning that gives the state an addiational 700-million dollars to spend on specific transportation projects. The money comes from the BP oil spill settlement, but Edwards says the legislation is not taking money away from repairing the coast that was damaged by the spill.
“These dollars were in the settlement with the state for the state’s out of pocket expenses for that spill,” said Edwards.
The money will fund highway projects in Caddo, Rapides, St. Tammany and Lafayette Parishes. Also improving L-A 1 in LaFourche Parish. There’s also 20-million dollars for a new Cameron Parish ferry.
Edwards says the bill also allocates 125-million dollars for what is known as the L-A 415 connector, which is a new four-lane roadway to help traffic congestion on I-10 in West Baton Rouge Parish.
Houma Representative Tanner Magee and Port Allen Senator Rick Ward are co-authors of the legislation that will fund these important transportation projects. Ward says he started meeting Magee about the legislation in January.
“And I think at time everyone thought that this would be a long shot, but here we are today,” said Ward.
