Livingston Parish is described as one of the fastest growing areas in Louisiana, but according to Parish President Mike Grimmer that growth could quickly become the parish's bane.
Addressing this growing issue with members of the Denham Springs Rotary Club Tuesday, Grimmer explained the need for an upgrade in the parish's transportation infrastructure. The most important issue he addressed was for the construction of the Loop Project, a 58-mile long travel artery that would encircle the greater Baton Rouge metropolitan area, a part of which would run through Livingston Parish.
"The I-12 is the bloodline of the south," Grimmer said. "Livingston Parish currently has 75 percent of its residents working outside of the parish lines. We estimate that somewhere in the near future there will be a 45-50 percent population increase along the I-12. Our current infrastructure cannot sustain that kind of growth."
The only lasting solution to the continued growth problem in the parish is to support the construction of the Loop, Grimmer said.
"The traffic has to be able to move if we are to survive," Grimmer said. "We're expecting to see a 35 percent increase in the number of trailer trucks passing through our parish. With traffic having to constantly stop due to congestion, the chances of drivers getting into accidents will quadruple. I know residents would rather have the I-12 widened, but they need to consider how long it will take to do that and also how far will it be able to go. Even if we were able to widen the I-12 to six lanes, we would reach maximum capacity after two years."
Grimmer explained some of the benefits about the Loop aside from its relief of growing traffic congestion.
"The Loop is basically a private enterprise," Grimmer said. "We'll have a committee that will be dedicated to the Loop, and only to the Loop. Cameras will be installed all along the length of the Loop so that if a vehicle breaks down, a wrecker can get it off the road as soon as possible. There will also be a police force solely dedicated to enforcing state laws on the Loop. The toll booths will not be like the ones most drivers are accustomed to. Anyone using the Loop will have electronic toll passes. There won't be any stopping along the whole length of the Loop due to tolls."
When asked about how long it would take for the Loop to be completed and its capacity for handling commuters, Grimmer answered as best he could.
"Most of the engineers with the Loop Project estimate that it will take about eight years to complete," Grimmer said. "I would optimistically say that the Loop would take about 12 years to complete. I can't say for certain exactly how many vehicles the Loop here would be able to manage. We're looking very closely at the Loop in Austin, Texas. It currently has around 1.2 million vehicles traveling on it a day."
Source: Livingston Parish News
