State cancels plan for Highway 90 median

Following public outcry from residents, business owners and state and local officials, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development has canceled plans to install a median with four turning lanes on Highway 90 through Boutte.

The state originally wanted to replace a mile-long center turning lane that currently allows motorists to access businesses on both sides of the highway and merge into traffic.  However, many in the parish felt that adding a median would create a safety hazard on Highway 90 while also having a negative impact on businesses that border the heavily-traveled road.

Councilwoman Julia Fisher-Perrier, who has been fighting against the proposed median since being informed of the state’s plan in the spring, said forcing motorists to U-turn on Highway 90 could have caused accidents.

“DOTD was basically recreating the same type of intersection which many of us knew would cause dangerous actions by motorists,” she said. “We all know people do what is most convenient on the road, quite often, rather than what is most safe. The residents, transients, delivery trucks and school buses would have been subject to those obeying the rules and those not obeying the rules. The many forced U-turns seemed to present a problem for the buses and trucks.

“Now our kids will continue to be delivered home and to school safely via the highway.”

Sen. Gary Smith said he presented many of the same concerns to the transportation department.

“I think it was going to cause more of a traffic problem and potential wrecks,” he said of the planned median. “Some of those turn lanes during heavy traffic hours were going to build up and that would mean that the holding lane would back up into lanes of traffic, which causes rear-end accidents.”

Fisher-Perrier also believes that the businesses along the Boutte corridor would have suffered if the plan had gone through. If the median was constructed, many motorists would have to go down to a turning lane and make a U-turn before accessing the parking lots of many local businesses.

“As a former retailer I’ve observed two types of businesses – destination location and a location of convenience. If we took away the element of convenience for shoppers and consumers along our highway, business would likely slow for many of the locations,” she said.

Fisher-Perrier attributes the state’s reluctance to go forward with the project to a meeting she and Sen. Gary Smith held with a small group of local residents, business owners and DOTD engineers in Majoria’s parking lot close to Highway 90.

“We met with the engineers at 4:45 p.m., which is the peak Highway 90 traffic hour. The engineers were able to see first hand our traffic patterns and how we actually use our highway,” she said. “I think the visual had a huge impact on their perception of our highway and gave them a first-hand look at what a grass median would do to our corridor.

“They saw that the fifth merging lane actually worked for us.”

Smith commended the state for taking the time to listen to concerns.

“I think it was a wise decision on their part,” he said. “They listened to my concerns as well as those of council member Fisher-Perrier, Rep. Greg Miller, the School Board and business owners even though they had plans set. You don’t always get that out of some of the bigger agencies.”

Fisher-Perrier agreed and said being able to secure a meeting with DOTD Secretary Sheri Labass last week was instrumental in halting plans for the median.

“They listened as I stood in that parking lot and pleaded our case and suggested that we meet with the secretary of  the DOTD, Sheri Labass, for one last shot at saving our merge lane,” she said.

Last week in Baton Rouge, Labass delivered the news to Fisher-Perrier, Smith, Miller and representatives of the School Board that her department would alter the project and leave the fifth lane in tact.

“The willingness to work with us paired with the offering of help by so many was a recipe for success,” Fisher-Perrier said.

The state will move ahead with plans for other areas of Highway 90, which should be beneficial to residents.

“Through the meetings I was able to convey our need for attention at some intersections such as St. Anthony, Bank Street, Maryland Drive and McDonald’s. Those are some of the intersections where we’ve seen fatalities because they forced motorists to sometimes make risky decisions to cross the highway,” Fisher-Perrier said. “There will now be additional holding lanes, accelerations lanes and J-turns at some of the locations between Wal-Mart and Barton Avenue/Lakewood Drive.”

The state will also resurface the stretch of Highway 90 running from Barton Avenue to Paul Maillard Road.

A second phase of the project will focus on the Paradis portion of Highway 90. Though the final plan is not set yet, Smith is hopeful that the state will install a median through Paradis.

“I am really excited to finally have a median on Highway 90 in Paradis. It will cause traffic for a while and not everybody will be happy, but it will improve safety in that area,” Smith said. “Right now it’s such a hotspot for accidents. People have to stop in the middle of the lane to turn, so hopefully a median will reduce or eliminate a majority of the problems in that area.”

Fisher-Perrier said DOTD plans to have more public outreach and time set aside for input before finalizing plans for the Paradis portion of Highway 90.

 

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