I-12 expansion set near Walker
DENHAM SPRINGS — Gov. Bobby Jindal and Livingston Parish officials broke ground Wednesday on a project to widen Interstate 12 by one lane in both directions from Juban Road to Walker.
In addition, money saved through the bidding process would be used to widen an additional 2 to 3 miles east of Walker, Jindal said.
The $21.9 million, 3.2-mile project from Juban to La. 447 in Walker will be a boon to those who live and work in Livingston Parish, Jindal said.
“ It’s about quality of life, but also about economic development,” Jindal said.
Local officials said the projects are sorely needed.
“Absolutely it’s good news,” said Layton Ricks, Livingston Parish president-elect. “It’s a safety issue.”
“Getting the interstate widened to Walker will be a huge blessing,” Walker Mayor Bobby Font said. “It’s very much needed.”
Increased capacity will be needed to handle traffic generated by the rapid development in the I-12 corridor.
Juban Road is the site of a planned 471-acre residential and commercial development.
A new hospital is being built just south of I-12 at the Walker exit and a new medical center sits at the Satsuma exit 4 miles east of Walker.
“Expanding the (interstate) between the Juban and Walker interchanges will enhance safety and improve traffic flow for the more than 46,0000 commuters who rely on this stretch of interstate each day,” said Sherri H. Lebas, secretary of the Department of Transportation and Development.
The project will be handled by Barriere Construction of Metairie, and should be completed by the middle of 2013, Jindal said.
The widening, especially east of Walker, should ensure that I-12 can handle the amount of traffic projected, Lebas said.
Officials had allotted $37 million to widen I-12 from Juban Road to Walker, but through the bid process, the state saved $14.5 million, Jindal said.
That money, along with federal dollars, will be used to widen I-12 for an additional 2 to 3 miles east of Walker, Jindal said.
No timetable or contractor were announced for widening I-12 east of Walker.
The widening of I-12 to Walker means that for part of 2012, I-12 could be under construction from O’Neal Lane in Baton Rouge to the Walker exit, a distance of about 8 miles.
Separate projects are under way to widen and improve I-12 from O’Neal Lane to Pete’s Highway in Denham Springs and from Pete’s Highway to Juban Road.
Those projects are scheduled to be completed in middle and early 2012, respectively, Jindal said.
Additionally, a new U.S. 190 Amite River Bridge was opened in December 2010 and work is under way to replace the existing two-lane Magnolia River Bridge over the Amite River with a new four-lane structure.
Work on that is expected to be completed in fall 2012, Jindal said.