NEW IBERIA, La. (KLFY) – Some road safety improvements are planned for the city of New Iberia. Mayor Freddie DeCourt said the Metropolitan Planning Organization will be working with the city.
“Which is mostly striping, a little signage, came to about $70,000, and I don’t have to come up with a match and they might actually accomplish what they set out to do and fix some of our safety issues so I’m excited about that project,” said DeCourt.
Ashley Moran of the Metropolitan Planning Organization said the project is part of the Local Road Safety Program.
“It’s very unique,” Moran said. “It provides 100 percent funding for targeted safety improvements on roads with a high frequency of crash locations.”
Ten streets are slated for improvements – which will include striping, new signage, and crosswalks. Those streets are:
Lombard Street from Gilbert to Jefferson
Anderson Street from LA 674 to Field
Mississippi Street from West End to LA 675
Walton Street from Frederick to Field
South Corinne Street from St. Mary to Jane
South Lewis Street from LA 674 to LA 182
Jefferson Terrace from LA 83 to East Main Street
Dale Street from Jefferson Terrace to Hopkins
Iberia Street from Cape Palos to Fulton
North Lewis Street from LA 182 to LA 86
Mayor DeCourt is also looking forward to a $3.1 million project to improve Hopkins Street from Main Street to Admiral Doyle Drive, and LA 87 from LA 86 to North Lewis Street.
The DOTD will overlay both streets and install a new drainage system on Hopkins Street. The project should go out to bid in spring 2019.
“There’s extensive drainage. We’re fortunate because we desperately need this,” DeCourt said.
“They’ll take the drainage and go under the railroad track and get to Bayou Teche which will divert our water in another direction that we really need to do.”
The restriping project still needs to go through the engineering and design phase. The project should begin sometime in 2020.