Four New Bridges Could Span Amite River

March 13, 2011 0 Comments

BATON ROUGE — The Amite River divides East Baton Rouge and Livingston parishes — which are, respectively, the largest parish in the state and the 2nd fastest growing parish in the state.

Traffic between the two parishes is bumper to bumper almost everyday — since there are only three bridges crossing the Amite River between the two parishes.

Those three bridges are on I-12, Florida Boulevard, and Magnolia Bridge Road.

Now, Baton Rouge area lawmakers and other local officials are pushing plans to build as many as four new bridges across the Amite. One of the leaders of the effort, State Rep. Bodi White (R-Central) said all four bridges are needed.

New Magnolia Bridge. Construction has already begun on a new four-lane bridge at Magnolia Beach. It will connect Wax Road in Central on the East Baton Rouge Parish side of the river to Hwy. 16 on the Livingston Parish side. The existing, antiquated, two-lane bridge will be torn down.

Hooper Road Bridge. Rep. White, along with Sen. Dale Erdey (R-Livingston) and Rep. Clif Richardson (R-Central), have succeeded in getting money in the state Highway Priority Program to begin studies of another new bridge, which would extend Hooper Road in Central across the Amite River to Watson in Livingston. The Capital Region Legislative Delegation is proposing that $6 million in additional funding be authorized during the upcoming legislative session to begin serious planning for the project. A traffic study conducted by the Baton Rouge Area Chamber of Commerce showed such a bridge would serve 26,000 cars a day — making it the highest priority of any new highway project in the capital region.

Denham Springs Bridge. The Capital Region Legislative Delegation is also seeking to use $500,000 in already-authorized funds to study a new East-West highway across East Baton Rouge Parish. The road would follow existing rights of way and have minimal impact on Central. It would cross the Old Mississippi River Bridge, follow Airline Highway to S. Choctaw, head east along S. Choctaw, cross BREC land south of the Illinois Central railroad, and then across the Amite River to Denham Springs. A new bridge would be part of this plan.

French Settlement Bridge. The parish presidents of Livingston and Ascension parishes have proposed a short toll road that would cross the Amite near French Settlement.

Rep. Hunter Greene (R-Baton Rouge) said these new plans are evolving but could seriously relieve traffic congestion between East Baton Rouge and Livingston.

By Woody Jenkins, Editor, Central City News