Louisiana officials narrow down possible Mississippi River bridge site

Louisiana state Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) officials hope to cut the number of prospective sites for a new Mississippi River Bridge by the end of the month, sooner than anticipated.

“We’re running a little ahead of the timeline that we initially set,” said spokesman Rodney Mallett.

The DOTD will cut the list to three sites between East Baton Rouge Parish and the southern portion of Iberville Parish. The list of prospective areas will be trimmed from ten potential sites.

Officials previously targeted mid-to-late June to reach a conclusion on the three sites, but a large volume of public input on the location for the bridge has played a role in decision making.

A turnout much larger than anticipated for most of the public forums has increased the time for officials to review the comments filed during the forums in Iberville, Ascension, East Baton Rouge and West Baton Rouge parishes.

“Turnout for each one was outstanding, just as it was for the forums for the I-10 widening,” Mallett said. “It’s good to see people interested because if we’re trying to explain to people that we need funding or a timeline for a project and they understand the process, it’s more likely to get the backing from the lawmakers.”