BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – Multiple different potential routes for a new Mississippi River bridge in metro Baton Rouge were whittled down to just three on Friday, May 27.
All three possibilities cross the river between LA 1 and LA 30 in Iberville Parish. State officials say input from the public was vital in their decision about the final three possibilities. Further studies will be conducted to determine which plan will ultimately be used.
FULL MAP
Here are details of each plan:
- PLAN 1: Crosses river between LA 1 just south of Plaquemine near Old Evergreen Road and LA 30 just south of the EBR/Iberville Parish line near Anytime Fitness, which is about two miles south of where Bluebonnet Boulevard connects with LA 30.
- PLAN 2: Crosses river between LA 1 near the Shintech main access road and LA 30 just south of the EBR/Iberville Parish line near Anytime Fitness, which is about two miles south of where Bluebonnet Boulevard connects with LA 30.
- PLAN 3: Crosses river between LA 1 near the Shintech Plant main access road and LA 30 at Gordon Simon LeBlanc Drive near the St. Gabriel Community Center.
One big issue that remains is exactly how to pay for the bridge. Ultimately, a combination of state and federal funding will contribute to the cost. But state officials say they also plan to make it a toll bridge, meaning drivers will have to pay to cross it.
Representatives with the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) and Atlas Technical Consultants recommended three of the previous 10 alternatives for a new Mississippi River crossing between Baton Rouge and the Sunshine Bridge. The three alternatives were presented to the Capitol Area Road and Bridge District (CARB-D).
DOTD said it will now move forward with refined analysis of the three alternatives, which is needed to complete the federally-required environmental impact study.
The three sites are all in Iberville Parish with connections on the west side of the river south of Plaquemine, and on the east side of the river in St. Gabriel.
Original Article by WAFB Staff on May 27, 2022 • Source: WAFB
