THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE
LA 1 COALITION IN 2020!
|
|
A Message from Chairman Chett Chiasson
As Chairman of the LA 1 Coalition Board of Directors, I would like to sincerely thank you for partnering with our state, parish, federal government and Greater Lafourche Port Commission to move the much needed LA 1 Project towards completing substantial funding this year.
Obviously, 2020 has had no lack of challenges for the existing LA 1 highway to our coast, with the older at-grade section of LA 1 having to close for five storms that impacted our region.
Your help in the LA 1 Coalition, whether it was through paying dues, or providing interviews and calculations for our INFRA grant cost-benefit analysis, or by joining the Port Commission as one of eighteen matching funds commitments helped us win the nation’s largest U.S.D.O.T. INFRA grant this year! It has been that $135 million grant award that has put our state in a position to finally move forward next fall with bidding the 8.3 miles of elevated highway between Golden Meadow and Leeville, which our community needs to continue doing our part in feeding and fueling our nation.
We hope you will maintain your involvement in the Coalition into 2021 as we work closely alongside the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development in getting this large and critical public works project out to bid this coming October and, finally, under construction soon thereafter.
I wish you a safe and happy holiday season and
look forward to our continued partnership in 2021!
|
|
LA 1 Project Moves Toward Construction in 2021 |
|
LA DOTD Set to Take Bids for Phase 2 in October 2021 |
With an aggressive design and pre-construction task schedule, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LA DOTD) has set an October 2021 date to receive construction bids for the elevated highway from Golden Meadow to Leeville.
This past June the LA 1 Phase 2 Project won a $135 million grant from the United States Department of Transportation’s INFRA Grant Program, providing the state 30% of the $445 million estimated cost. Pictured above are Governor John Bel Edwards, Congressman Steve Scalise, local legislators, and GLPC and Coalition officials at the grant announcement in Golden Meadow.
Another $150 million of construction funding will come from BP Economic Damage monies which was committed in Act 443 of state’s 2019 Regular Legislative Session. Additional funds are pledged through the state Capital Outlay Program, from the Greater Lafourche Port Commission, from Lafourche Parish Government, from local land owners and several oil & gas companies. The LA 1 Coalition also pledged funds representing buy-in from the nonprofit sector. Pledge letters from such a wide range of community stakeholders helped our state and the LA 1 Project win the largest INFRA grant the federal government is awarding throughout the country in 2020.
Thank you to all who contributed to the winning grant application!
|
|
Final Design Plans Progress through HTNB Design Group |
|
LA DOTD will combine Segments A,B, and C of Phase 2 (pictured left) into one project for construction. This will be the largest bid-taking LA DOTD expects to facilitate next year.
This month, LA DOTD expects to issue a supplemental contract to HNTB Corporation to complete the final design plans by July 2021. The final plans are needed ahead of the bid-taking time, in order to provide contractors with project details needed to submit a competitive bid in October 2021.
|
|
Pre-Construction Pipeline Work in Right-of-Way Advances |
|
On a necessary Pipeline Relocation Project within the proposed elevated highway’s 8.3 mile right-of-way, Marquis Resources of Lafayette, owner and operator of the pipelines, was recently advised of their compensable interest determination from LA DOTD. This document is what establishes that Marquis has compensability and that some or all of their pipeline relocation cost is applicable for reimbursement.
Last month, Marquis submitted their preliminary design drawings on the deepening and relocation work for DOTD approval. Final design of the pipeline work will be provided to LA DOTD in the coming weeks, and work should begin on the pipelines relocation and deepening in the first quarter of 2021.
|
|
Finalizing Funding for Phase 2 |
|
LA DOTD Submits Priority 5 Capital Outlay Request |
|
To help close a gap for funding the $445 million Phase 2, LA DOTD last month submitted their departmental annual capital outlay submission, requesting an additional $20M in Priority 5 for LA 1, above the $95M already in Priority 5. LA DOTD and the LA 1 Coalition are working on other funding options to have all necessary funding in place prior to the taking of bids in October 2021. |
|
Coalition Continues Work on Project Funding in 2021 |
|
The Coalition is working with 16 companies that provided funding match commitments for Phase 2 to update their commitment letters with an expected contract execution date of December 31, 2021. The Coalition anticipates that the majority of these companies will channel their industry match funds through the LA 1 Coalition over the next years.
We thank these companies for their civic commitments and pledge letters. Again, these civic pledges, along with the Greater Lafourche Port Commission and the Lafourche Parish Government pledges, and one from the LA 1 Coalition itself helped the project cross the finish line to win the $135 million of federal funds that are critical to the larger funding plan.
|
|
2020 Hurricane Season Highlights Need for Elevated Highway |
|
The 2020 active storm season forced closures of low-lying LA 1 for five of the six storms that impacted our region, including Tropical Storm Cristobal and Hurricanes Laura, Beta, Delta and Zeta.
We have learned from the cost-benefit analysis for Phase 2 of the LA 1 Project compiled for the INFRA Grant Program that each day that LA 1 is closed, inhibiting access to an open Port Fouchon, costs the U.S. $46 million in oil & gas production and $528 million in total GDP. These significant costs justify the needed local/state/federal investment of $445 million in the elevated highway from Golden Meadow to Leeville in order to avoid the economic impacts of highway closures to our local, state and national economies.
|
|
WELCOME NEW LA 1 COALITION MEMBERS! |
|
First American Bank
Gaubert Oil Company
JP Morgan Chase Bank, NA
Morris P. Hebert, Inc.
|
|
ABOUT THE COALITION
The LA 1 Coalition is organized for coordinating, providing, and disseminating public information in relation to improving the highway system between Grand Isle and U.S. Highway 90.
The LA 1 Coalition is a 501(c)(4) organization. Donations are not tax deductible.
The LA 1 Coalition is located within the offices of the South Louisiana Economic Council on the campus of Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, LA. Executive Director is Henri Boulet.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
