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DOTD proposes 46 capital area infrastructure projects for 2027-2028 draft program
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BATON ROUGE — State transportation officials unveiled a draft highway program that includes 46 projects across nine capital-region parishes for the 2027-2028 fiscal year.
The Joint Transportation, Highways and Public Works Committee held a public meeting at the state Capitol on Wednesday to discuss the draft plan.
"The number one priority is to make sure we have a state highway system, roads and bridges that are in good state of repair and are reliable," DOTD secretary Glenn Ledet said.
The draft lists 16 preservation projects, four operations projects, two safety projects and 24 miscellaneous projects. Proposed work includes road restriping and repaving, new roundabouts, bridge repairs and drainage upgrades.
Two of the biggest projects are slated for West Baton Rouge Parish. One is completing the second phase of the LA 1 Intracoastal Canal Bridge replacement in Port Allen, a $116 million project expected to be completed in 2028.
Phase II includes removing the original bridges and building a new northbound bridge with two 12-foot travel lanes, 10-foot shoulders and a barrier-separated exit lane for I-10 eastbound to Baton Rouge.
DOTD also plans to break ground soon on the $567 million LA 415 Connector, which will link LA 415 at I-10 with LA 1 north of Brusly.
Port Allen drivers, including Derquan Hooper, said the project is long overdue.
"I think the new road will be good. It's a lot of traffic in the area. I think it will help a lot," Hooper said.
Ledet also said DOTD hopes to launch two studies of I-12 in Baton Rouge.
The first study, which Ledet said is already underway, looks into traffic flow. The other would revisit a plan from 10 years ago to study an interstate loop from West Baton Rouge Paris, to East Baton Rouge Parish, connecting to I-10 and I-12.
The 100-page draft was released last week; this was the fourth of 10 meetings happening across the state through Oct. 29.
Written comments to the Joint Transportation, Highways and Public Works Committee must be postmarked within 45 calendar days after the final hearing on Thursday, Oct. 29.
Those comments can be mailed to:
Joint Transportation, Highways and Public Works Committee
c/o LA DOTD (Section 85)
P.O. Box 94245
Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9245
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