Parish Plans Projects
BOBBY ARDOIN
St. Landry Now.com Editor
There is state and federal money allocated for capital outlay projects in St. Landry Parish, but work isn’t expected to proceed until next year, according to parish president Jessie Bellard.
Bellard told a Parish Council Public Works Committee on Wednesday night that $2.6 million has been appropriated for road widening, drainage and a turnaround project for Nap Lane off La. 182 south of Opelousas.
A similar amount of state funding should be available for a second Nap Lane phase, Bellard said.
That project will be augmented by parish Smooth Ride Home revenues that are generated by an additional $300,000 from a two-percent sales tax that is collected outside corporate limits of St. Landry, Bellard said.
Nap Lane has become a popular vehicle option, since it connects both 182 and La. 357. Several residential neighborhoods have also been developed in the area and are contributory sources for traffic congestion.
Other State Projects
Additionally more state revenue – about $300,000 – will be used for a Bayou Des Cannes project to relieve flooding that affects northwestern St. Landry, Evangeline and Acadia parishes, said Bellard.
There is also an anticipated $1.5 million earmarked for the parish that will be used to create office space for the Eunice Health Care complex. That revenue allocation won’t require any state funding matches, Bellard added.
Work has been ongoing to clean bayous Mallet and Carron and there is still $100,000 left to apply for the project, noted Bellard.
From The Feds
Funding from federal sources will include $900,000 for a new hangar at the parish airport and a similar amount will be received by St. Landry for drainage projects, said Bellard.
Bellard added that airport hangar space is becoming desirable.
“There are about 30 planes waiting on a list for hangars,” Bellard said.
Bellard told the Committee that federal and state funding streams are not always spontaneous.
Other revenues for airport improvements have been appropriated, but the parish is still waiting to start some projects, Bellard admitted.
Nap Lane Anticipation
Bellard told councilman Timothy LeJeune that despite the anticipation from constituents, no work on Nap Lane will begin until at least 2026.
Reconstructing and overlaying Nap Lane is not a simple fix, said Bellard.
The first phase will include an area of the narrow roadway from 182 to a four-way stop at River Birch Drive, Bellard explained.
Complicating the project, Bellard said, will involve the relocation of some existing utility lines and the removal of some trees as Nap Lane undergoes expansion.
The turnaround will facilitate traffic flow, Bellard added.
