ST. LANDRY PARISH — Major improvements may soon be coming to roads, drainage systems, and public facilities across St. Landry Parish—thanks to nearly $8 million in state funding included in Louisiana’s Capital Outlay Budget under House Bill 2.
For Parish President Jessie Bellard, infrastructure upgrades remain the top priority.
“Every year we submit for roads and drainage — that’s our top priority in St. Landry Parish, and it’s something we’ll continue to push for,” said Bellard. One of the biggest upcoming projects is a long-awaited overhaul of Nap Lane, located off Highway 182 in Opelousas.
“We’re very fortunate — we got $2.6 million to do the first part of Nap Lane,” Bellard said. “This project is costly because we’re expanding the intersection at 182 into three lanes — adding turning lanes to improve traffic flow and safety.”
Nap Lane will consider additional part which will focus on widening the road. The parish will receive another $2.4 million for this part of the project.
What’s Being Funded?
In addition to Nap Lane, the funding will support several other key initiatives, including:
- Repairs to parish roads like Copper Road, which has already been repaved
- Courthouse renovations
- Parish-wide drainage improvements
- Upgrades to the District Attorney’s Office
- Renovation of the Annex Building at the former Moosa Memorial Hospital
Bellard says the salvage portion of the Moosa building will house the Eunice Community Health Center and include three additional office spaces. He hopes it will help revitalize Moosa Memorial Boulevard into a future economic hub.
“We also got $1.5 million in appropriations for the Eunice community center, which is a health center,”Bellard added.
In Eunice, an additional $1.3 million has been set aside for City Hall and jail renovations — funding that Eunice Police Chief Kyle LeBouef says is critical.
“Our jail is in dire need of repairs. We’re not sure how much longer we can keep operating in these conditions,” said LeBouef. “We’ve got crumbling concrete, faulty lighting, and several cell doors with locks that no longer work.”
The funding isn’t limited to just Eunice and Opelousas. Other municipalities set to benefit include Port Barre, Sunset, Krotz Springs, Mellville, Grand Coteau, and Arnaudville— with upgrades slated for roads, sidewalks, water and drainage systems, and city buildings.
With recent budget cuts at the parish level, Bellard says this state funding needed and a great support to have when it comes to helping residents.
“A million-dollar drainage project? There’s no way we could do that alone. Without the state’s help, these fixes wouldn’t be possible — and people are still flooding out there and they need this type of help.”
The Capital Outlay Budget is now awaiting Governor Jeff Landry’s signature. If approved, work on many of these projects could begin later this year.
To read House Bill 2 with all the projects for St. Landry Parish, you can find it here on page 75.
