CENTRAL - Mayor Junior Shelton's administration announced the following road projects on its Facebook page Wednesday:

FROM THE DESK OF MAYOR JR. SHELTON

One of the largest expenditures that can be made by a municipality is for roads. Planning, building, and maintaining roads can become an enormous cost. However, nothing is more frustrating than trying to move on old, dilapidated and ill-conceived roads.

This council and administration has attempted to be certain that our roads are maintained in a manner that makes driving easier and safer.

One of the worst and most dangerous roads to travel in Central is Frenchtown Road. Construction is currently underway in the of widening and rebuilding of Frenchtown Road, from Greenwell Springs Road to the Thruway. The road will be widened one foot on both sides and subsurface drainage will be added. The project is well underway and will cost $1.7 million. Additionally, we are studying the feasibility of completing the widening and new construction from the Thruway to the end of Frenchtown to completely rehab the road.

The Council just recently appropriated $650,000 to undertake 13 projects to rehab streets and intersections. These include:

Audusson Dr: Empress - Abundance, $90,000

Planchet Road: Thibodeaux to Woodstock Subdivision, $90,000

Comite Hills West Subdivision Entrance, $42,000

Brown Rd. $75,000

Carey Rd. $75,000

McCullough Rd., $168,000

4 base repair $7,000 (McCullough Rd)

Holly Hock, $6,000

Talmouge Crumholt, $45,000

Magnolia Trace, $7,000

Shady Bluff $3,000 base repair

Magnolia Blossom $20,000 Cul de sac repair

LaJolla $2,000 base repair

Downey and Fir, $20,000

Most of these projects are overlays.

We are currently putting a new list together to address other areas that need repairs. Of course, we are constantly fixing potholes and other road repairs needed to ensure the safety of our citizens.

Through a program funded 75% by the State, Central has been approved to rework Thibodeaux from Morgan Rd to Planchet at a total cost of $2,105,030.

This coupled with the millions being spent on drainage, should go a long way towards improving our infrastructure within Central.