Kaliste Saloom at U.S. 90 Gets $50M Federal Grant Advancing Lafayette’s I-49 Connector Project

LAFAYETTE, La. — The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) announced Thursday a $28 million federal grant for Lafayette Consolidated Government (LCG) to advance an interchange at Kaliste Saloom Road and U.S. 90. LCG says the money will pay for final engineering and other pre-construction work.

The announcement covers $426 million in grants for 12 projects in 12 states through USDOT’s Nationally Significant Multimodal Freight & Highway Projects program, known as INFRA. USDOT said the Lafayette project will eliminate one of the top 100 freight bottlenecks in the U.S.

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What the Kaliste Saloom and U.S. 90 Interchange Will Include

The project would convert the existing signalized intersection into a grade-separated interchange, with ramps, flyover bridges and roadway improvements along about 2.2 miles of Kaliste Saloom Road and 3.5 miles of U.S. 90. LCG says the design eliminates conflicts at the signalized intersection and reduces crash risk, including conflicts at the nearby highway-rail crossing.

LCG also says the interchange will reduce congestion and delays and improve travel-time reliability. It describes U.S. 90 as a freight corridor connecting Interstate 10 with regional and national markets, ports and industrial facilities.

How the Grant and Local Match Break Down

LCG’s announcement lists $31.5 million from the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) and $500,000 from LCG as the match for the $28 million federal award. The federal award is about 6.6 percent of the $426 million announced nationwide.

When LCG applied in July, it requested $30 million and cited $20 million committed by DOTD. The award is $2 million below that request, and the DOTD share in LCG’s announcement is $11.5 million higher.

Mayor-President Monique Blanco Boulet said the funds “will allow us to complete the final engineering and other critical pre-construction work” for the interchange. LCG’s July announcement said that work would advance final engineering plans, right-of-way acquisition and utility relocation.

Where the Interchange Fits in the I-49 Connector

The I-49 Connector is a planned 5.5-mile extension of I-49 from I-10 to Lafayette Regional Airport. The project has advanced in fits and starts since the late 1980s. Estimates this year put the cost between $2 billion and $2.5 billion.

As of the Sept. 2 public hearing, the project still needed about $2 billion in funding.

Boulet thanked Sens. Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy and Reps. Clay Higgins and Cleo Fields for supporting the connector. LCG said it secured the award in partnership with Gov. Jeff Landry, DOTD and congressional offices.

DOTD Secretary Glenn Ledet Jr. said the interchange will “improve mobility today while supporting the continued development of the I-49 corridor.”

Environmental Review Steps Still Ahead for the I-49 Connector

Officials signed the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement in July. A public hearing followed Sept. 2 at the Downtown Convention Center, and the project website lists Sept. 12 as the deadline for written comments.

DOTD and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) will review and respond to the comments. The final step is publication of a Record of Decision, which concludes the environmental review. The federal permitting dashboard lists March 15, 2027, as the estimated completion date for environmental review and permitting.

What Happens Next for Lafayette

LCG said additional information about the project timeline and next steps will be announced as development advances. The announcement did not include a construction start date.

State Sen. Brach Myers said the interchange is “critical to how people and commerce move through our region.”

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