News from the LA 1 Coalition

April 7, 2020

The leadership and staff of the LA 1 Coalition hope you and your family are staying healthy and safe during this crisis. Please join us as we keep all of those suffering from COVID-19 and its impacts in our prayers.

INFRA Grant Request Submitted for LA 1 Project

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development submitted the LA 1 Improvement Project Phase 2 INFRA Grant application to the United States Department of Transportation (U.S.D.O.T.) in late February.

We wish to thank our extended community for your tremendous support through the grant development process. We send a huge thank you to contributing companies and government entities participating in a multi-million dollar match commitment submitted with the application, and we thank all respondents for your surveys and interviews which allowed the grant team to formulate a very robust and defensible cost-benefit analysis for the application.

The application seeks $185 million dollars for the estimated $445 million LA 1 Improvement Phase 2 Project from Golden Meadow to Leeville which includes 8.3 miles of elevated highway structure. This was the maximum allowable percentage of project funding request that LA DOTD could make to the U.S.D.O.T.

COVID-19 stay-at-home orders may impact the timeline for the awarding of the grants, but we are hopeful that U.S.D.O.T. will announce funding decisions this summer and we will share that news with you.

LA I PROJECT AREA MAP

Click on the map to the right to view a larger image of the LA 1 Improvement Project area. Phase 2 Segments A-D are represented in green on the map.

LA DOTD ANNOUNCES TOLLING CHANGES TO MINIMIZE SPREAD OF CORONAVIRUS

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development has made temporary changes to operations at the LA 1 toll bridge in Leeville in order to follow statewide mandates of social distancing to help reduce the risk of spreading the COVID-19 virus. The changes will be in place until further notice.

The cash/ credit card lane has been closed, diverting southbound traffic to lane 2, known as the tag lane. Customers who do not have a toll tag are required to go through the tag lane and will be sent an invoice in the mail for the price of the toll. There will not be any added fines or fees added to invoice. These changes do not affect customers that currently have a GeauxPass toll account and tag for their vehicles.

The lobby of the customer service center in Golden Meadow is now closed to the public. Motorists can open and make changes to their accounts, as well as make payments on current accounts by calling customer service at 1-866-662-8997 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday or by visiting the GeauxPass website at http://www.geauxpass.com

GeauxPass, the statewide toll system, is currently distributing toll tags for no cost during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is part of an effort that encourages motorists to use the GeauxPass lane rather than paying a toll collector. This will allow for social distancing to reduce the risk of spreading the coronavirus. The GeauxPass toll tag allows drivers to travel worry-free on LA-1 towards Grand Isle or Port Fourchon.

In order to receive a free toll tag, motorists must open a new online GeauxPass account. Motorists can call customer service at 1-866-662-8987

between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday to open an account.

SEGMENT 2E IS COMPLETE AND OPEN TO TRAFFIC

The $13.22 million Segment 2E of the LA 1 Improvement Project is complete, providing a safer intersection for turning onto the North Connector Ramp along the elevated highway in Leeville (pictured). Truck drivers will especially appreciate the wider and safer turn available. Additionally, the segment constructed a 400-foot stub to the north of the curve which will allow for the tie-in of the rest of Phase 2 upon its construction from Golden Meadow to Leeville. The wide tie-in will accommodate three lanes, with one lane being a turning lane for future southbound traffic to exit at Leeville for local business and recreational facilities.

PORT FOURCHON MAINTAINS OPERATIONS THANKS TO TENANTS' EFFECTIVE PLANNING EFFORTS

A message from GLPC Executive Director Chett Chiasson

I am hopeful this message finds you and your loved ones in good health.

I am pleased to report to you that the valued tenants our region, state, and country depend on are continuing to conduct business at Port Fourchon.

This has not been easy, but in a testament to how detail-oriented our tenants are, we have seen first-hand how proper planning can mitigate threats to the extent where a port such as ours can stay open.

In the event you don’t know how important our port is to governmental officials on the state and national level, let me just say this. It has been expressed to me by numerous state representatives, senators, and our Congressional leadership in D.C. that we are being counted on more than ever during this time of economic uncertainty.

Our tenants and what they do in service to the offshore oil and gas industry is critical to keeping our country energy independent. The pipelines that flow through Port Fourchon fuel many areas of our country and reach the manufacturing capacity of more than 50% of our country.

The reason the Port remains open is because it is ESSENTIAL to our area and this country.

As we continue to work towards flattening the curve and returning to business as usual, please know the Greater Lafourche Port Commission and its many valued tenants are concerned about all our employees and are following the CDC/State guidelines to keep our people safe. While some may be working remotely or implementing staggered shifts to prevent possible spread, the bottom line is the situation is being handled with a great degree of sensitivity.

We here at the Greater Lafourche Port Commission stand ready to assist our tenants to the greatest extent we can. In the past several days, we've shared resources for business assistance, and additional links are posted on our website at https://portfourchon.com/news-events/covid-19. In the coming days, the GLPC plans on announcing potential measures and options to assist tenants with weathering the economic storm brought on by a pandemic none of us could have predicted.

Rest assured that GLPC and its network of tenants will keep monitoring developments and do what’s best for all of our employees who help

power and fuel our Working Coast! We wish you and your families the very best as we continue dealing with this threat.

COALITION MONITORS STATE, FEDERAL

LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITY

RELIEF FOR OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY

The LA 1 Coalition is closely monitoring the challenges of our domestic oil and gas industry as oil prices hit historic lows during the COVID-19 crisis. The Coalition supports the efforts of trade associations and grass-roots organizations to advocate for policies that would provide economic relief to the industry and protect thousands of American jobs during this difficult time.

LOUISIANA LEGISLATIVE SESSION

The Regular Session of the 2020 Louisiana Legislature has recessed as the state observes the governor's stay-at-home order in response to COVID-19. When legislators safely return to Baton Rouge to resume the session, the LA 1 Coalition will continue to seek funding opportunities that may develop for the LA 1 Project.

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.

LA 1 Coalition • La1Coalition.org • henri@la1coalition.org • (985) 448-4485