LAFAYETTE PARISH — Lafayette Consolidated Government has proposed the Commuter Connections project, an initiative aimed at addressing traffic congestion across Lafayette Parish, where officials project 50,000 new residents by 2050.
Mayor-President Monique Boulet said commute times are already a concern in the parish.
"Some people spend — we have a very small geographical parish — and some people spend upwards of 45 minutes to an hour getting around, when again, it's a small space," Boulet said.
The project would connect cities throughout Lafayette Parish through the addition of roundabouts, turn lanes, road widenings, signal retiming and synchronization at 18 intersections across the parish.
Engineer Vijay Kunada said the targeted locations were selected based on data.
"So all these projects — proposed locations — have documented crash histories. With the proposed improvements, like the roundabouts, they reduced about 70% of the crashes," Kunada said.
The project would be funded through an existing bond millage. In December, voters will have the option to renew the millage at no added cost.
"So no new taxes. You have the ability to raise $77 million for the parish of Lafayette — not the city, the parish. That doesn't happen very often, so we kind of feel like it's a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in the parish," Boulet said.
Boulet said the project is expected to take four to seven years from concept to completion.
If passed in December, the following intersections would recieve upgrades:
- Bonin Road at La Neuville Road
- Bonin Road at Ambassador Caffery Parkway
- Chemin Metairie at Fortune Road
- Verot School Road at Vincent Road
- Verot School Road (Woodstone Dr. to Hwy 92)
- Verot School Road at Pinhook
- E. Broussard Road (Johnston St. to Robley Drive)
- LA Highway 89 (Albertson Pkwy to Pinhook Road)
- Ridge Road at South Domingue Avenue
- Ridge Road at Rue du Belier
- Ridge Road at Lagneaux Road
- Ridge Road (Rue du Belier to Ambassador Caffery Pkwy)
- Rue du Belier at Congress Street
- W Broussard Road at Duhon Road
- Veterans Drive at North Michaud Street
- Hector Connoly Road at Frontage Road (East of I-49)
- Gloria Switch Road at Frontage Road (West of I-49)
- North University Avenue at Renaud Drive
