PINEVILLE, La. (KALB) - A major road project set to start on August 5 is hitting the brakes for now, but once completed, it will be a much-needed improvement for Central Louisiana.
As you may have heard, construction set to take place on the outside travel lanes of U.S. Highway 165 and U.S. Highway 167 near Lowe’s has been postponed, according to the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development.
Alexandria-based Diamond B Construction Company was awarded the contract to begin construction to the tune of over $6.2 million.
Erin Buchanan with LaDOTD shared that, in the past, the department has dealt with issues with loads striking that bridge, leading to lane closures, delays and other various impacts to travel.
She said, “The purpose of this project is to lower US-165 at the Pineville Expressway overpass at 167. It’s not just to reconstruct the roadway. It’s to lower the roadway, because the clearance of that overpass is only about 14 feet, and we need it to be a little over 16 feet.”
Had the project started on August 5 as planned, Phase I of construction was projected to be completed by October, with full completion by January 2026.
“We really would like to avoid a situation where something strikes that overpass, and we have a catastrophic event occur as a result of that,” Buchanan said. “So overall, the primary goal of the project is to lower the roadway, but along with that, we are also reconstructing the travel lanes and the ramps to go along with that work as well.”
State Representative Mike Johnson said that, while the project is necessary, his concern was that there was no public input or much discussion with stakeholders.
“The announcement last week was the first notice that I got or that any of the public officials had,” he said. “I’m concerned about the National Guard’s ability to get in and out, particularly during this time of year. With the start of school, I simply asked DOTD officials, and I appreciate their responsiveness, I asked that they delay for a period of time and to see if there’s some other alternative methods to staging the construction projects such that they would have the benefit of the input from the school board, dealing with bus drivers and parents, as well as the businesses that will be directly affected. They responded right away.”
Johnson said LaDOTD agreed to work on some staging that might be less inconvenient to people. Now, it is about finding the right timing for when the project can begin, and drivers can see those improvements.
“I’m appreciative of DOTD,” Johnson said. “They’re trying to improve our roads. They were very responsive. I just wish there had been a little bit more communication beforehand.”
Buchanan said, “The overall goal is to have a satisfactory, safe project at the end. But in the meantime, we don’t want that to be an utterly painful process for everybody involved either.”
No new construction date has been announced, as of yet.
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