ASCENSION PARISH — After two years of construction, a major road improvement project in Ascension Parish is complete, and state and local officials gathered Friday for a ribbon-cutting to mark its reopening.

State transportation leaders said the now-finished upgrades along LA-70 are designed to keep up with rapid growth in Ascension and neighboring St. James Parish.

“It represents the growth of this region, the continued economic development and investment that Gov. Landry and his team are bringing to the state,” DOTD Secretary Glenn Ledet said. “It provides supporting infrastructure and transportation infrastructure for this region to be able to utilize all the great investments that we make.”

The project adds a new roundabout at LA-70 and LA-3125 and widens LA-70 from the LA-22 interchange to the base of the Sunshine Bridge, creating a four-lane highway through the corridor.

Officials say the improvements will help ease congestion and make daily commutes safer.

For many drivers, the reopening brings long-awaited relief. “It’s good that the roadways are back open,” said Patrice Anderson, who drives the route regularly. “I’m excited that it’s wide open. It feels like an interstate.”

Traffic in the corridor is expected to jump from about 30,000 to 50,000 vehicles a day over the next two decades, and DOTD officials said the expansion was needed to get ahead of congestion. “This area continues to grow. It was best to address the safety issues and the congestion issues in advance,” Rodney Mallett with DOTD said.