Lights Coming To I-49 / I-10 Interchange

Today on 'Mornings With Ken and Bernie' we were joined by Deidra Druilhet and Bill Oliver of the Lafayette area Department of Transportation and Development and discussed upcoming projects.

Repeatedly we've had listeners ask if lights at the I-49 / I-10 interchange would ever be replaced and to that Oliver replied,

Absolutely that project has been 'let'.  We're fixing to go to the construction phase.  They're putting together the 'submitals'.  They have to submit all the components.  That's a rehabilitation project where we will replace all the electrical components of the system.  Keep the poles, change all the wiring and the luminaires or the fixtures.  It will be a more efficient system that will be easier to maintain.

In addition to the I-49 / I-10 lighting project and other lighting projects along I-10 Oliver said another major project is on the way.

We have our biggest project coming, a design-build project on I-49 South, US 90 in Broussard.  That will be our first full controlled access interchange in Lafayette Parish...In Broussard at Albertson Parkway.

We asked Oliver to describe the project a bit more and he replied,

From Albertson Parkway to Ambassador Caffery we're going to six lane through there, new structures including overpasses, ramps, frontage roads with an overpass over the railroad track.

According to Oliver there is another major project that will soon be undertaken.

The next major project is an I-10 project from Lafayette to the Basin Bridge...That project is split into three separate projects.  Overall costs is $160 million...Widening 1-10 to six lanes from Lafayette to the Basin Bridge.

DOTD will soon have a public hearing about upcoming projects in the Acadiana region.  Druilhet said,

The preliminary highway public hearing for District 3 which is the Acadiana region is coming up at 2:00pm Thursday, October 31, 2013 at the Clifton Chenier Center in Lafayette.  It's a hearing where the general public is invited to come and take a look at upcoming projects for fiscal year 2014-2015.  They can also go to our website www.dotd.la.gov and there is a press release there where they view that fiscal year program ahead of time and they can comment on the projects.

Listen to the interview: