SLS 19RS-2317 ORIGINAL
2019 Regular Session
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 122
BY SENATORS MORRISH, JOHNS AND JOHN SMITH AND REPRESENTATIVES
ABRAHAM AND DW IGHT
TRANSPORTATION/DEV DEPT. Directs the Department of Transportation and
Development to expedite procurement, planning, engineering, and design for a new
Interstate 10 Calcasieu River Bridge, in cooperation with the Southwest Area Chamber's I-10
Bridge Task Force.
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2 To direct the Department of Transportation and Development to expedite procurement,
3 planning, engineering, design, and construction of a new Interstate 10 Calcasieu
4 River Bridge, in cooperation with the Southwest Area Chamber's I-10 Bridge Task
5 Force.
6 WHEREAS, the development, construction, and maintenance of an efficient, safe,
7 and well-maintained intermodal transportation system is essential to improve safety, relieve
8 congestion, promote continued economic growth, and provide an increased quality of life
9 for the people of this state; and
10 WHEREAS, the Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) and local
11 governmental agencies in southwestern Louisiana, the area legislative delegation, the
12 Southwest Area Chamber's I-10 Bridge Task Force (task force), as well as the
13 public-at-large, recognize the urgent need for the replacement of the Interstate 10 Calcasieu
14 River Bridge; and
15 WHEREAS, the existing Interstate 10 Calcasieu River Bridge has exceeded it's
16 useful life, and the construction of a new six-lane bridge, located parallel to the existing
17 bridge, with shoulders, a pedestrian walkway, and related ingress and egress is necessary;
18 and
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1 WHEREAS, it is imperative that DOTD study the conditions, needs, issues, and
2 funding relative to the procurement, planning, engineering, design, and construction of a new
3 Interstate 10 Calcasieu River Bridge, and to recommend any action deemed necessary or
4 appropriate; and
5 WHEREAS, the task force released a set of recommendations in January of 2019,
6 that provide the state with a well-researched, detailed action plan to tackle this most critical
7 interstate bridge project by a private venture and without incurring debt or using any tax
8 revenue; and
9 WHEREAS, in 1997, the legislature recognized that public revenue, including federal
10 funds, has not kept pace with the state's growing transportation system needs and enacted
11 Act 1017 of the 1997 Regular Session of the Legislature to encourage parishes and
12 municipalities to utilize public-private partnerships to assist in the financing of
13 improvements to the state highway system through any available means and to authorize the
14 creation of transportation authorities for such purposes; and
15 WHEREAS, forming an authority was also one of the task force's recommendations;
16 and
17 WHEREAS, under the direction of such an authority, the task force's proposed plan
18 for the new bridge estimates it could be completed within three years with the cooperation
19 of DOTD; and
20 WHEREAS, the cooperation of DOTD and the task force is necessary, in the study
21 of the conditions, needs, issues, and funding relative to the procurement, planning,
22 engineering, design, and construction of a new Interstate 10 Calcasieu River Bridge, and to
23 follow any action deemed necessary or appropriate by the secretary of the DOTD and the
24 task force.
25 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
26 direct the Department of Transportation and Development to expedite procurement,
27 planning, engineering, design, and construction of a new Interstate 10 Calcasieu River
28 Bridge, in cooperation with the Southwest Area Chamber's I-10 Bridge Task Force.
29 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Transportation and
30 Development strongly consider a public-private partnership as an alternative to conventional
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1 methods.
2 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
3 secretary of the Department of Transportation and Development, and the chair of the
4 Southwest Area Chamber's I-10 Bridge Task Force.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Alan Miller.
DIGEST
SCR 122 Original 2019 Regular Session Morrish
Directs the Dept. of Transportation and Development to expedite procurement, planning,
engineering, design, and construction of a new Interstate 10 Calcasieu River Bridge, in
cooperation with the Southwest Area Chamber's I-10 Bridge Task Force.
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