DOTD outlines T4LA transformation, launches live project dashboard and reports LTIF progress
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Summary
The Department of Transportation and Development told the Senate Joint Transportation Committee it has launched a live project-delivery dashboard tied to its Headlight system, reported progress on $535 million in LTIF projects and previewed a major river-bridge groundbreaking and Cameron Ferry updates. Secretary Glenn Laday and new Deputy Secretary Beau Black highlighted litter-abatement results and customer-service KPIs.
Secretary Glenn Laday and DOTD Deputy Secretary Beau Black told the Senate Joint Transportation, Highway and Public Works Committee that the department's T4LA transformation is yielding new tools and faster project delivery.
Laday said the department is publishing a public project-viewer dashboard that displays project phase, letting dates, construction status and spending and is fed daily by DOTD's Headlight administration system. "This is actually live now. It went live last night, and so you can go on and see that," Laday said, noting some local public agency data are still being uploaded.
Beau Black, introduced to the committee as DOTD's new deputy secretary and head of the Office of Transformation, said he took the post about a month ago and will continue implementation of the governor's and legislature's mandates. "We hit the ground running," Black said, thanking Gov. Landry and the secretary for the appointment.
DOTD also reported progress on Louisiana Transportation Infrastructure Fund (LTIF) projects. Laday said the combined LTIF 1 and 2 investment the department is administering totals roughly $535 million; LTIF 1 accounted for about $286 million in 2024 with 25 of 57 projects accepted as complete and approximately 80% of the program underway. He added that LTIF 2 encumbrances and letting schedules have advanced and that bid awards have come in under estimates, producing a surplus the department expects to use to advance additional projects.
On performance metrics, Laday said the dashboard will publish hundreds of KPIs statewide and by district, including payment-turnaround goals (a target of paying contractor invoices within 30 calendar days) and call-center response times. He said DOTD aims to surface trends and allow legislators and the public to view where projects stand and how much has been spent.
Litter abatement was a highlighted topic. Laday described a three-part campaign of education, enforcement and abatement, including a new pilot "sponsor a highway" program. He told the committee that in the most recent reporting period the department spent about $14.7 million and removed roughly 92,000 cubic yards of litter statewide, figures Laday presented as the largest tracked to date. "We were able to pick up more litter this year for less cost," he said.
DOTD previewed a large river-bridge project in the highway-priority program, reporting that required federal permits have been received and that a groundbreaking is planned for mid-to-late April. Laday said the overall project financing includes about $1.2 billion of public funds, with roughly $400 million expected to be bonded conditionally on a vehicle-sales-tax plan; the broader project total was described as near $2.3 billion with private partners providing the remainder.
On the Cameron Ferry, DOTD said a $54 million program will build two new ferry vessels (the Holly Beach, due in May, and the Cameron, due in August). The department confirmed the statutory $1 toll remains in place. DOTD said it received an unsolicited proposal from Labmar Ferry Services, ran a 90-day competitive solicitation and received one responsive proposal; DOTD staff said that bidder met the agency's criteria for responsibility and responsiveness and that the matter will be taken to the LTA board for approval and potential negotiation.
Committee members asked about dashboard data sources and whether updates are automated; Laday said the viewer is fed from Headlight, which field inspectors and construction teams update daily. Members also sought clarification on the scope and timeline for right-of-way acquisition tied to the large bridge project; DOTD replied that acquisition has begun and that contacts with businesses will proceed in phases.
The department distributed a draft final Highway Priority Program guidebook covering about 302 projects and roughly $913 million allocated for construction in the FY26-27 priority program, with the booklet and comment-summary materials available on DOTD's website.
The committee did not take votes on these items during the hearing; DOTD officers said final votes and further action would be scheduled as required.