The Livingston Parish Council has voted to bond $8.3 million from the LA Department of Transportation and Development to expedite the widening of Juban Road to Florida Boulevard, and it doesn’t end with just widening. Juban will also be extended northward to Lockhart road in an effort to move traffic further north into the parish.

Right now the Juban road interchange is the least used interchange on the entire I12 corridor. This interchange was expected to greatly relieve congestion that exits and enters Range Road during peak traffic times, but this has not been the case.

Before the interchange was completed, local official stressed the need for widening Juban north to Florida Boulevard. Ideally this should have been completed in conjunction with the opening of the interchange; however this did not pan out due to lack of funding.

The widening of Juban road is not only essential to easing traffic congestion but also economic development. Juban Crossing is a proposed 470 acre development on the north side of I12 on Juban road. The development will be one of the largest in the region with commercial, office, residential, hotel, and restaurant space available. If this development were built on the current Juban road, it would make for a traffic nightmare.

Right now there is no estimated completion time of the project, but the council expects to start acquiring right of way for the project beginning early next year.