WBRZ - Baton Rouge

BATON ROUGE - Today, Governor Bobby Jindal announced a $12 million investment to widen approximately one mile of Essen Lane from Perkins Road to I-10.

The project will help reduce congestion and improve safety for more than 35,000 motorists who use this segment of Essen Lane every day.

Governor Jindal said, "This $12 million investment to widen Essen Lane represents our continued commitment to improving our roads and infrastructure in the Capital Area and throughout our state. We know how important Essen Lane is to Baton Rouge and the region. The area around Essen is booming and the road is a critical business and medical corridor for folks who live in or travel to Baton Rouge. We need to make sure our roads keep up with our economic growth so that our families have safe roads to travel and businesses have the fastest routes possible to move their products."

The dollars for the Essen widening project are being shifted from a proposed I-12/Essen Lane interchange project.

Today's announcement follows other major investments the Jindal Administration has made in the Capital Area. To further enhance economic development and improve safety, the administration has invested $315 million in projects to widen the I-10/I-12 corridor in the Capital Area, including:
• $110 million to widen I-12 from Pete's Highway to O'Neal Lane
• $86.2 million to widen I-10 from the I-10/I-12 split to Siegen Lane
• $60 million to widen I-10 from Siegen Lane to Highland Road
• $36.2 million to widen I-12 from Pete's Highway to Juban Road
• $21.9 million to widen I-12 from Juban Road to Walker

Since taking office, the Jindal Administration has made transportation and infrastructure projects a top priority by investing an unprecedented $4.6 billion in Louisiana's infrastructure. This investment has funded 1,800 transportation system improvement projects, including roughly 4,000 miles of roadway and 446 bridges.