Program Overview

	Overview
	Mission Statement
	Program Fact Sheet
	Program Schedule/Timeline
	Program Team
	Program Funding
	Commitment to the Community

	Construction Activity Map
	Project Details Map

Overview

The TIMED (Transportation Infrastructure Model for Economic Development) Program is the single largest transportation program in state history. The TIMED Program was created by Act 16 of the 1989 Louisiana Legislature and was voted for by the people. The $4.9 billion improvement program includes widening 536 miles of state highways to four lanes on 11 project corridors, widening and/or new construction on three major bridges and improvements to both the Port of New Orleans and Louis Armstrong International Airport. The Program is designed to enhance economic development in Louisiana through an investment in transportation projects.

In 2002, the Louisiana Department of Transportation & Development accelerated the TIMED Program. LA DOTD hired a consultant to assist with the management of the Program and decided to bond out the remainder of the Program, with the first bond sale of $275 million occurring in August 2002. The TIMED Program is now scheduled to be completed many years earlier than the 2002 estimate of a 2031 completion.

Hurricane Impacts

Louisiana ’s TIMED Program felt the wrath of the 2005 hurricanes. These storms caused billions of dollars in damage throughout the Gulf Coast region, resulting in an unprecedented spike in the cost of materials, a labor and housing shortage and a remarkable demand on the construction industry. Workers are displaced. Contractors are in high demand. Equipment is scarce. And the cost of steel has reached unimaginable highs. These factors have led to budget and schedule pressures on TIMED projects. At close of Fiscal Year 2006, an increase of $700 million in the total projected costs of the TIMED Program was directly related to the hurricane impacts. Additionally, the schedules on the TIMED major bridge projects were affected, resulting in delays and therefore pushing completion dates into 2012 and possibly beyond.

The LA DOTD remains committed to the TIMED Program. The Program is progressing, despite any temporary set backs realized in 2005. Funding from the Act 16 gasoline and special fuels tax remains dedicated to the TIMED projects and bond sales allow for continued advanced construction. The completion delays on the Huey P. Long Bridge Widening project and the Florida Avenue Bridge project are unfortunate effects from hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The success, however, of holding the groundbreaking ceremony on the Huey P. Long Bridge Widening project—just months after the very communities it serves were flooded—is encouraging and a sign of the commitment from the TIMED Program.

The TIMED Program will continue to help rebuild and strengthen Louisiana. From connecting communities and promoting economic growth to enhancing evacuation routes and promoting solid infrastructure, TIMED is a fundamental part of Louisiana’s recovery.