Long Rumored I-49 Corridor Finally A Reality?

After being deemed the top priority for the state of Louisiana, it seems the long rumored I-49 corridor may finally be making progress towards completion. City-Parish President Joey Durel joined "Nathan and Bernie in the Morning" to discuss I-49 and what a potential timetable may be.

Why not use this as an opportunity to show the rest of America that you can bring an interstate through an urban part of town and make it a win

"With the interstate coming through it, we’ve got to find a way to turn lemons into champagne," said Durel. "Find a way to elevate property values, to improve things around there."

Aside from the possible economic and traffic flow benefits of the I-49 project, Durel hopes the construction can help improve and aging part of town.

"Why not use this as an opportunity to show the rest of America that you can bring an interstate through an urban part of town and make it a win," said Durel.

The federal government has gotten involved with the I-49 project. Lafayette city officials have applied for and received a TIGER Discretionary Grant from the United States Department of Transportation, a major coup for the project.

When asked for a potential timeline for the I-49 corridor, Durel said nothing is set in stone yet, but the positive signs are leading him to believe we could see work beginning to be done in the not so distant future.

"I believe that it’s not unrealistic to think that in 5-10 years you can see something significant happen," said Durel.

To listen to the full audio from the interview, click the play button below: