New Amite River Bridge Plans: Project to Include Two-Lane Roundabout

    At Tuesday night’s public meeting, officials from LA DOTD presented the latest revisions of the proposed widening of Hooper Road and the new bridge over the Amite River connecting Central with the Watson area of Livingston Parish.
    The preliminary plan, shown above, calls for a large two-lane roundabout at the Hooper and Greenwell Springs intersection.  DOTD officials explained that there is not sufficient room for an overpass style interchange, and that a signaled intersection would be much less efficient.
    Initial studies for the project began in 1997 in response to the growth of the Central area and the large traffic volume of commuters from Livingston Parish into Baton Rouge.  The current plan calls for the widening of Hooper Road to four lanes beginning at Sullivan Road and extending the new roadway across a new bridge over the Amite River to connect with Highway 16 in Watson.
    As planned, the project will require the relocation of 14 residences and 23 businesses along the proposed route.  The project will require wetlands mitigation of 26 acres and construction is planned to be limited to 7AM to 6PM each day to minimize impact on nearby residences.
    The actual construction is not yet funded, but officials are confident that the money will be allocated when needed.  The project is currently only in the planning stages and construction is not likely to begin for several years.  Recent estimates have put the project completion in the five to seven year range, depending on funding.