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Local leaders push to protect Mississippi River bridge funding as legislators weigh scope for LA 30 expansion
Summary
At the District 61 hearing, local officials urged lawmakers not to reallocate funds dedicated to the New Mississippi River Bridge South and debated whether vehicle-sales‑tax revenues could be used to pay for LA 30 and LA 1 expansions; DOTD said current statute limits spending to the bridge and its approaches and any change would require legislative action.
Local officials and legislators used the Oct. 23 Senate Transportation hearing to press DOTD and the committee on the New Mississippi River Bridge South and how dedicated funds can be used for nearby highway expansions.
Iberville Parish and other local leaders told the committee they want to avoid repurposing bridge funds. One speaker noted that roughly $300,000,000 is currently in a DOTD account for the bridge and raised projections of future bonding revenue; they warned that diverting those dollars would delay a project many say has been under discussion for decades.
Secretary Joe Donahue told the committee that, under the statutes that created the mega‑project funding, DOTD has no discretion to broaden that fund’s scope beyond the bridge and its approaches. He said that to use those funds for broader LA 30 or LA 1 expansions would require changes to statutory language and thus action by the Legislature in a future session.
Several legislators, including representatives and senators from the capital region, discussed timing: DOTD said NEPA for the bridge had not formally started and that environmental approvals would follow once NEPA begins; DOTD projected a preferred alternative by late 2025 and environmental approval in late 2025 or early 2026, subject to federal processes.
Representatives and local presidents urged a parallel approach: identify preferred bridge siting and continue planning LA 30 and LA 1 expansions so the projects align once the bridge route is selected. Some urged exploring bond financing or public‑private partnerships to accelerate construction; DOTD cautioned statutory limits and emphasized the legislative committee would be the body to amend scope.
The debate included contrasting perspectives on near‑term versus long‑term needs. Several local leaders argued the region needs capacity improvements now to match economic growth and freight traffic; environmental and civic advocates at the hearing urged consideration of alternatives to widening, including transit and multimodal options.
The committee did not take formal action on funding scope at the hearing. DOTD and legislators agreed that statutory language controls the mega‑project fund and that any change would be considered in the next regular legislative session.
