LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) – The Lafayette Consolidated Government will hold a public meeting on Wednesday about a proposed road project in South Lafayette.

LCG plans to widen Duhon Road from Johnston Street to Rue du Belier from two to four lanes. A roundabout would then be built at Duhon and Rue du Belier. That could help drivers who now have a tough time making a left turn onto Duhon.

“At the five o’clock and morning traffic it’s worse so they need a roundabout here,” said Cade Babineaux of Lafayette.

“The roundabout might work because a lot of traffic comes from this way (Duhon) and this way (Rue du Belier) so a roundabout would be good,” Mandel Livings of Lafayette said.

Roundabouts force drivers to slow down and allow for a continuous flow of traffic. LCG planners need to meet DOTD standards for roundabouts.

“It’s not for every intersection. You have to have the right traffic counts, you have to have the right geographical situation, location. But it is an effective tool,” said LCG Public Works Director Mark Dubroc.

This is a $4 million LCG project and will be paid for using LCG funds. But since Duhon Road is a state road – LA-724 – a public meeting must be held.

Dubroc said it’s all part of the city’s master transportation plan to extend the road network. Duhon Road – after all – turns into Southcity Parkway when it crosses Johnston Street.

“This is going to provide additional capacity to get between Rue du Belier and Johnston Street,” Dubroc said. “It feeds directly into that Walgreen’s – Southcity Parkway area.”

The plans for the project will be finalized after the public hearing and public comment period. Dubroc thinks construction will likely begin sometime in 2019.

The meeting will be held on Wednesday, December 13 from 6:30 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at the South Regional Library at 6101 Johnston Street.

You can also mail comments to the LCG Public Works Department at 1515 E. University Avenue, Lafayette, LA  70501. They must be postmarked by December 27, 2017.