In terms of mileage, Interstate 49 between Lafayette and New Orleans is one of the most complete of incomplete projects.
More than 100 miles of the 160-mile highway, a goal of state planners and business leaders for decades, already is either up to federal interstate standards or under construction to meet them.
Continue reading “Our Views: Lafayette connector should work for drivers and for community”
A poll of 500 likely voters in Lafayette Parish found that 81 percent think it’s important to complete Interstate 49 South through Lafayette, the regional economic development group One Acadiana announced Thursday.
About 55 percent of those polled believe the I-49 Connector — the portion of the interstate passing through the city limits — could improve the surrounding neighborhoods, according the poll results.
Continue reading “One Acadiana poll shows strong level of support for I-49 project, CEO says”
Continue reading “Can a New Urban Highway Avoid the Mistakes of the Past?”
Local engineers are offering their own plan on how to connect Interstate 49 through the city with less impact to surrounding neighborhoods.
Continue reading “Planning Commission offers alternate I-49 connector plan to utilize Thruway”
Lafayette city-parish planners have proposed a major design change for the Interstate 49 Connector, floating the idea of elevating the interstate as it skirts downtown and scrapping plans for two downtown interchanges.
(LAFAYETTE, La.) –With U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy present, the completion of Interstate 49 was touted as one of the state’s top infrastructure priorities at meeting hosted by One Acadiana, a nine-parish chamber of commerce.
Gregg Gothreaux, Lafayette Economic Development Authority president and CEO, said, “You are talking about the most important project we can do in the history of the community, second probably to creating the university, maybe.”
Continue reading “Eunice Today: I-49 completion cited as one of state’s top building projects”
(LAFAYETTE, La.) – The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) recently hosted a launch event and public information meeting for the I-49 Lafayette Connector project. Held at the Rosa Parks Transportation Center Tuesday, Oct. 6, the event included remarks from DOTD Secretary Sherri H. LeBas along with local and state officials about the importance of this project for the future of Acadiana.
Continue reading “DOTD hosts launch event for I-49 Lafayette Connector”
DOTD spokeswoman Deidra Druilhet said the state agency is keenly aware of the need to re-evaluate existing plans and to think about not only the road, but everything around it.
“We haven’t built a project of this magnitude in many years,” she said. “… I think a lot of people really want to be involved in this process, and that’s exactly what we want.”