$10 million Louisiana Avenue extension opens
LAFAYETTE PARISH, La. (KLFY) -- A $10 million project to extend Louisiana Avenue in Lafayette Parish is complete, promising to improve traffic flow and safety in North Lafayette.
Officials with Lafayette Consolidated Government celebrated the opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony.
After years of planning and construction, drivers in north Lafayette will now have a smoother and faster way to get around. City leaders say the first contract for the Louisiana Avenue extension was signed back in 1991, but it is now coming to fruition.
The project aims to help drivers reach their destination by extending Louisiana Avenue east of the intersection at Moss Street and Gloria Switch Road.
Bryan Tabor, Lafayette Parish Councilman for District 1, said how the project would be the beginning of bigger transportation improvements in the area.
"It means relief to traffic… it means a new road for the northside of Lafayette," said Tabor.
The extension of Louisiana Avenue also includes a new roundabout and replaces an old bridge with a box culvert, providing a smoother and faster route for drivers.
Raymond Johnson, a resident, expressed his anticipation for the project, noting that he and others have been observing the construction progress daily.
"We have a group of about five people that ride down here every morning, Monday through Friday, and we love to watch what they're doing and we're glad to see it's open," Johnson said.
City leaders hope the extension will not only improve travel but also attract new businesses and investment to North Lafayette.
"You're going to see a lot of people using this avenue so you're going to relieve traffic on those areas and be very helpful in the traffic congestion, upper Lafayette is growing, with Buc-ee's there it's really going to grow, so we're looking forward to that," said Tabor.
With the completion of the Louisiana Avenue extension, North Lafayette is poised for improved traffic conditions and potential economic growth.
All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KLFY. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KLFY staff before being published.