DENHAM SPRINGS - Near the intersection of Juban Road and US 190, traffic backs up as far as the eye can see on any given day.

Plans to add a roundabout at the intersection and widen Juban to four lanes between I-12 and US 190 have been stalled for years because crews need to relocate a number of utility poles along the busy road. 

In 2021, WBRZ reported that the delay would drive the total cost of the project up by nearly a million dollars. Now, DOTD says they have consolidated the widening and roundabout projects to save time and money. 

By combining the two projects, DOTD says they are cutting down the project cost by $5 million, for a total now of $15 million. Construction time has also been cut down by one year. 

The original plans called for the work to be done in two separate phases, and wrapped up in 2021. However, utility relocations did not even begin until 2021, and now the department says the end date could be sometime in 2025. 

The state anticipates utility relocations to be completed soon. Once that is done, drivers will start to see some real progress.