Panel Approves Infrastructure Improvements; Funding Needed
BATON ROUGE (AP) — A key Louisiana panel has approved a long-term blueprint for sweeping road and bridge improvements across the state, but officials say they are unsure where the funding will come from.
The Advocate’s Will Sentell reports that a transportation committee at the Louisiana State Capitol on Thursday approved the Louisiana Statewide Transportation Plan, which is a list of projects of varying priorities the state wants to do when the dollars are available.
The list includes making Interstate 10 eight lanes in a part of New Orleans, as well as widening Interstate 10 between the I-10 Mississippi River Bridge and the Interstate 10/12 split.
The action comes amid continuing state budget problems and uncertainty on how the next governor plans to tackle transportation problems.
In May, the Legislature's rejected a plan to raise $7.5 billion over 10 years for roads and bridges.
