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Completion of Highway 21 to lessen traffic nightmare

Credit: WWLTV

Highway 21

by Doug Mouton / Northshore Bureau Chief

Posted on December 31, 2009 at 8:22 PM

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COVINGTON, La. -- Business owners along one of St. Tammany's busiest roadways will begin 2010 with renewed optimism. The reason: the $8.7 million dollars widening project on Highway 21 near Covington is complete.

For the past few years, the highway was one large traffic snarl, exacerbated by the construction project.

"Even friends of mine wouldn't even come down here, because they had to deal with the traffic," said Tommy Rodenkirch. "The traffic's insane."

Rodenkirch is the General Manager of the Wow Wingery Restaurant on Highway 21. He said his business felt the negative effects of the traffic every day.

"We had people call in a to go order for lunch, then cancel their order because they didn't have time to come get it, because they were stuck in traffic," Rodenkirch said.

Highway 21 was rebuilt from a two-lane roadway to four lanes with a median and turning lanes. In November, St. Tammany opened its new interstate exit at Pinnacle Parkway. Parish President Kevin Davis said that project, coupled with the newly rebuilt Highway 21, will greatly improve traffic flow in eastern St. Tammany.

Next, the parish will oversee improvements at the interstate exit on Highway 21, between Brewster Road and Ochsner Boulevard. Kevin Davis hopes to begin that project by March.

"That's why it was so critical to get the other interstate exit (at Pinnacle Parkway) built and finished," Davis added, "so when we move to 21, there will be some relief."

Highway 21 will still have issues, Davis said, at the bridge just south of Covington, where the road shrinks to two lanes. Davis said the parish hopes to widen the bridge eventually, but the environmental assessment won't be done until the end of 2010.

For now, businesses along the rebuilt section of Highway 21 are celebrating, and welcoming new customers.

"Our business has gone up probably 15 to 20 percent just in this last week since they've finished that road," Rodenkirch said.

"The outcome has been very positive now that we've gotten it open," Davis added.

 

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ispeeksasipleez said on December 31, 2009 at 9:15 PM

Another one in the small, new shopping center in that block closed yesterday. The parish is wayyyyyyyyyyy behind the 8 ball issuing the building permits as fast as they can by typed with no roads to accomodate the traffic. There are no east west arteries other than I-12, Hwy 22 for Mandeville and Hwy 190 going to Folsom. That's it. St Tammany parish government is either corrupt or incompetent. The taxes that we pay are higher than anyplace around, yes even New Orleans, and we don't have anywhere near the services. No public sewerage, no street lights in most places, no garbage collection, the roads are deteriorating asphalt, etc, etc, etc.

kitchenzink said on January 2, 2010 at 12:00 PM

Kevin baby, if you all do not get that northbound merge lane on Hwy 21 straightened out there will be many accidents. Two new lanes now merge into one old lane with no striping and only a couple of small signs which the right lane drivers cannot see or choosing to ignore. Not good, not good at all,Kevin.