With construction now underway and local residents able to see progress firsthand, discussions of the project’s economic impact and growth are beginning in earnest.
Despite the fact the project will not be complete until 2010, officials in both Pointe Coupee and West Feliciana parishes are beginning to plan and implement proactive zoning and land use measures. This is encouraging news. After all, smart growth is the best growth.
The TIMED Program’s overall mission is to foster economic development through an investment in transportation infrastructure—improved highways, new bridges and new corridors—designed to make your travel more efficient and pleasant.
Whether it’s widening US 167 through the small community of Dubach north of Ruston or building the new cable-stayed Audubon Bridge, TIMED Program projects were strategically chosen to grow Louisiana businesses, communities and economic potential.
Since the Audubon Bridge project began in May, I’ve been in contact with local economic development organizations near the bridge project. While it’s impossible to predict the precise economic impact the project will have on the area, these organizations are working to initiate new measuring tools that will chart business and residential growth.
I intend to follow these organizations and their action plans as they materialize. If you live in West Feliciana, Pointe Coupee or the surrounding area, I urge you to get involved in your local civic and business associations.
The Audubon Bridge project is a huge investment and will certainly have profound positive impacts on the local and state economies.