(LAFAYETTE, La.) – DOTD and its Lafayette Connector Partners team invite the public to attend an open house public meeting on Wednesday, November 30, from 4:00-7:00 p.m. at the Progressive Community Outreach Center located at 125 Gallian Street in Lafayette.

“During this phase of the project, we’re studying the technical feasibility of the Series 4 and 6 concepts,” said DOTD Secretary Shawn D. Wilson, Ph.D. “This meeting is an opportunity for us to share what we’ve found with the community.”

 The open house public meeting will focus on the initial findings of the Technical Memo for the Tier II Series 4 and 6 concepts and other potential design modifications to the selected alternative (approved in 2003) for the project. Attendees can view exhibits showing the concepts and modifications and watch a continuous multi-media presentation. Informational handouts will be available and staff members will be present to discuss the project. The general public and community/civic leaders are all encouraged to attend. Input provided will feed into the ongoing, multi-tiered concept evaluation process.

 Comments are encouraged and welcomed throughout the current phase of the project, and can be submitted in person at the event either in writing or orally. They can also be submitted via email (comment@lafayetteconnector.com) or mail (Lafayette Connector Partners, Attn: AECOM, P.O. Box 3136, Lafayette LA, 70502), but must be postmarked no later than December 14 in order to be included in the official Public Meeting Transcript, and should include the commenter’s name and address.

 Exhibits from the meeting will be available on the project website (LafayetteConnector.com) by Friday, December 2nd and will also be displayed at Rosa Parks Transportation Center (101 Jefferson Street) from December 2-9, from 9:00am to 5:00pm weekdays.

The I-49 Lafayette Connector, part of DOTD’s Geaux South program, is a future 5.5-mile segment of highway that is a critical transportation link for Lafayette and the state as a whole. Geaux South is a $3 billion, multi-year construction initiative to convert approximately 160 miles of the current U.S. 90 corridor to Interstate 49 South. When completed, I-49 will extend from the current terminus at I-10 in Lafayette to the West Bank Expressway in New Orleans. Geaux South will support economic growth, improve access, reduce traffic congestion, and improve connectivity throughout the state’s transportation system.