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Another deadline for new Mississippi River bridge approaching: 6 more days for public comments

2 years 9 months 3 weeks ago Monday, May 09 2022 May 9, 2022 May 09, 2022 7:05 AM May 09, 2022 in News
Source: WBRZ

BATON ROUGE - Transportation officials are inching closer to deciding where to put a new Mississippi River Bridge in the capital area. 

The period for public comments hasn’t ended yet but will be ending soon. So far, officials tell WBRZ they've received more than 300 comments. On May 15, DOTD will close the window for public feedback on the project. Then, they'll take time to analyze those findings before making a decision.

Over the course of the last few weeks, DOTD invited the community to voice opinions at a series of public meetings. Locals from the west and east sides of the river joined DOTD to discuss the 10 possible locations. 

Ultimately, what’s gathered through community comments will help DOTD put together a report on the most feasible locations, with close attention to some of the major concerns like traffic ease, environmental impact, cost of construction. 

Rodney Mallett, communications director for DOTD, says there are a few other important factors that will play a role in the project moving forward. One of those factors: other roadway reconstruction projects currently underway. 

"We're widening I-10—right through town—so we're gonna see an improvement there as well, and any of these bridge locations could work with that to offset even more traffic. And so, it's all of these projects working in coordination with each other."

DOTD urges locals to voice potential concerns, observations, or recommendations before the window closes. This can be done on the project’s website, where you’ll also find a detailed report that highlights what's known about each prospective bridge location so far.

While that data may change with the coming phases, it offers a good idea of what’s already known about the current options for a new bridge.

Once they narrow down those choices, they'll complete an extensive report on the three finalists. 

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