BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana is receiving a $45 million federal grant to help build a fixed, four-lane toll bridge that will replace a tunnel and movable bridge in the southeastern end of the state.
Gov. John Bel Edwards says the U.S. Department of Transportation approved the grant application for the bridge replacement in Belle Chasse.
The decades-old bridge and tunnel are the primary access point to residents and businesses in Plaquemines Parish. Supporters of the new bridge say it will help improve commute times.
To pay for the rest of the replacement work, the Edwards administration will use $38 million in other federal funds and dollars from a public-private partnership.
A private company will put up cash and collect tolls paid by motorists using the bridge under a contractual arrangement with the state.
