02/18/2022
From: Mike Lorino, Council District 4 Representative Re: Update on Infrastructure Projects in District 4 January 14, 2022
I have been dedicated to addressing traffic issues in District 4 since I was first elected and have worked to resolve traffic problems including safety concerns, congestion in and around residential areas, and excessive traveling time for residents as well as others traveling through the Parish. I remain focused on quality of life for our citizens, and I’d like to provide you with an update on the actions that have been taken and the projects that are currently in progress to address these traffic issues.
1. Madisonville Bridge: During my first term on the Council, I worked with DOTD, the state delegation, and the Coast Guard to modify the bridge opening schedule. After considering public input and evaluating the traffic situation, the bridge openings during morning and afternoon peak travel times were eliminated and what was previously the 4-way stop on Hwy 22 in Madisonville was upgraded to a traffic signal. The bridge currently opens on the hour and half-hour around the clock with the exception of peak traffic hours. Additionally, I enacted a moratorium on building to prevent further increases in traffic and bridge usage. I continued working with state elected officials to remove the half-hour openings of the Madisonville Bridge with the goal of alleviating traffic near the bridge at all hours, and as of today that proposed change is open for public comment through the Federal Register process. It is my hope that the process can be completed this year. The building moratorium in District 4 is still in place. Looking forward, the parish administration sent a letter to DOTD requesting a study of possible modifications that could be made to the existing bridge to further improve traffic flow on Hwy 22. If modifications were made to the bridge, the entire process would take about ten years, and DOTD has declined to begin that study as of today.
2. Hwy 22: The Highway 22 Traffic Study completed in 2017 was a collaborative effort between the Parish and the Regional Planning Commission. The results indicate that the current infrastructure cannot support the amount of traffic this road is already seeing. Further consideration of thestudy results determined that a few intersection improvements are needed, and that Hwy 22 needs to be widened for additional lanes. The intersections targeted for improvement were at the locations that Highway 22 meets Highway 1085, Guste Island Road, and Perrilloux Road/Trapagnier Road. These projects have been moving through the Regional Planning Commission since 2018 and are all fully funded at no cost to St. Tammany Parish.
a. Highway 22 & Highway 1085 Intersection: DOTD and the Regional Planning Commission allocated $1.5 million in funding to complete a roundabout at this intersection and the parish has been waiting over two years for construction to begin. As of now, that project is scheduled to start in Spring of 2022.
b. Highway 22 & Guste Island Road/Highway 22 & Perrilloux/Trapagnier: DOTD and the Regional Planning Commission allocated $2.86 million in funding to complete roundabouts at each of these intersections. Construction is anticipated to begin on this project in 2023.
c. DOTD and the Regional Planning Commission allocated $3.3 million in funding to add an extra traffic lane to Highway 22 from Bedico Creek to Perrilloux Rd./Trapagnier Rd. This project is also scheduled to begin in 2023.
3. Hwy 21 Extension: The next step in alleviating traffic and congestion in District 4 is to extend Hwy 21 at Cedar Street to connect with Hwy 22 at a roundabout. That project has also been fully funded at no cost to St. Tammany Parish. There is not yet an anticipated starting date for this project.
It takes years to move these traffic issues from a problem to a completed solution, and I am looking forward to seeing the improvements that these projects will create for our district. With most of these projects on track to be started by 2024 in conjunction with the completion of construction on I-12, traffic congestion should be significantly alleviated over the next few years. Additionally, I am committed to maintaining the building moratorium until these improvements are completed.
~Mike
