Gov. Edwards Commits $85M In 2020 Capital Outlay Bill Toward Lake Charles Bridge

Governor Edwards announces a commitment of $85 million toward the replacement of the I-10 Calcasieu Bridge in Lake Charles. DOTD Secretary Shawn Wilson says this comes in response to President Trump’s promise earlier this year to have the federal money foot the bill in having the bridge replaced.

“Recognizing that typical interstate infrastructure requires a ten percent match, we know that we needed to have the $85 million available for the project as soon as possible,” said Wilson.

The funds are being put into place when the feds determine how much of the project they will cover. Wilson says all transportation infrastructure has a life span and this bridge is older than the interstate system itself.

“When the interstate was being built, they just made the decision to connect both ends of the interstate to the old US 90 bridge and call it the interstate,” said Wilson.

Wilson says despite the need for a new bridge, the current bridge is still safe.

“It may not be as attractive, it may be steeper than we want, it does not handle the 90,000 plus cars a day as effectively as we would like, but it’s the bridge we have,” said Wilson.