WAFB Channel 9, Baton Rouge, LA |DOTD: Money will improve Eden Church Road

DOTD: Money will improve Eden Church Road

By Tyana Williams - bio | email

DENHAM SPRINGS, LA (WAFB) - For more than a year, $1.5 million dollars in state and federal money has been sitting and waiting to be used for construction on Eden Church Road in Denham Springs.  But the council has yet to give the green light.  Officials with the Department of Transportation and Development say if Livingston does not use the money, there are other areas that will.

Several parishes submitted applications years ago for a DOTD safety grant.  Eden Church Road was chosen because of safety issues.  "We do believe this money will improve the safety of that road," said Sherri LeBas, the Interim Secretary at DOTD.

The ride down Eden Church can be a pretty bumpy.  In fact, some would say it's more like shake, rattle and roll.  Thousands of cars travel the stretch daily, and when the new fitness center and water park open, traffic will only get heavier.

"The state has told me if we can get this city-state agreement signed we should be able to start work in September of this year," said Councilwoman Cindy Wale.  Since taking office, Wale has made Eden Church Road one of her top priorities.  Residents who live there have told 9-News there are countless accidents on this stretch.

That is why the state put up half-a-million dollars to fix the dangerous curve.  There's another million in federal funds to add turn lanes and overlay the road, as well as another two million that would add roundabouts at Florida & Juban and Eden & Juban to help with traffic flow.

The parish council needs to decide whether they are going to add $350,000 to the mix so the project can get started.

At Thursday night's council meeting, that's what was supposed to happen but the item was tabled.  "So the parish puts up $350,000, we get four million dollars worth of work from the state.  It's kind of a no brainer," said Wale.  She says last year, the council voted to put $500,000 aside for this project, so the money should be there.

"If they didn't use the money, then we have other roads in the state that need safety improvements.  And I'm sure someone else in the state would be happy to have that," said LeBas.

If the council keeps tabling the Eden Church issue, the money could be gone for good.  The parish council finance committee is supposed to discuss the road next week.  Wale says she wants a vote at the next council meeting on March 25th.

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