Public engagement, feedback requested to help shape Connector
(LAFAYETTE, La.) – DOTD and its Lafayette Connector Partners team invite the public to attend a “Community Vision & Values Workshop” Saturday, January 23, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Progressive Outreach Center located at 125 Gallian St. in Lafayette. The workshop is one of many opportunities planned for this year where the community can share its ideas, hopes and opinions about the I-49 Lafayette Connector.
Following an introduction and welcome, participants will have the opportunity to participate in three breakout sessions focused on bridge and structural urban design features, environmental aspects of the project and a review of the alignment. In these smaller groups, the public will be able to ask questions, share feedback and learn more about how they can help shape the Connector. The event will conclude with a wrap-up and visual preference survey where attendees can “vote” for the kinds of design elements they prefer.
The goal of the “Community Vision & Values Workshop” is two-fold: to engage the broader public and share important information needed to understand the project, and also to gather the community’s priorities, values and ideas related to what the Connector can be. That feedback will be used to draft a “Vision and Values” statement that will guide the project as it moves forward, ensuring that it is a reflection of what the city wants.
More information about the “Community Vision & Values Workshop” is available on the project website, LafayetteConnector.com. Visit the site to review documents from the project library, sign up for the e-newsletter or leave a comment. “Like” Lafayette Connector on Facebook to be notified of upcoming events and activities.
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.