Paul Murphy / Eyewitness News
NEW ORLEANS -- There is now a clearer path forward for a stalled highway project on the West Bank.
The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development is wrapping up a third party review of the engineering designs for new traffic ramps at Peters Road and the West Bank Expressway.
DOTD determined the designs, which cost more than $4 million, are unconstructable.
According to Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development Secretary Sherri LeBa, the initial findings from the review indicate the so-called McArthur Interchange needs a new course of action.
"The ramp, as it is designed now, ties into the original bridge structure, and what we've determined is that the ramp needs to really be its own sustainable structure, a stand-alone structure if you will," said LeBas.
Lebas said a recent inspection of the expressway near where the ramps would be built showed some wear and tear on the 20-year-old elevated span.
"We will be making some structural repairs to the existing Westbank Expressway," said LeBas.
Friday, the secretary shared the findings with local lawmakers and Jefferson Parish President John Young.
"We are told by the secretary that this is the final design and we'll actually start turning dirt very shortly," said Young. "They are going to start with the roadway construction and then their going to go forward with construction of the stand alone ramp."
The proposed ramps are needed to help reduce traffic backups at Manhatten and Barataria Boulevards.
The new plan calls for project to be completed in the fall of 2014. Road work is expected to begin in the middle of next year.
The contract for the ramp phase of the project would be let in next December.
"It's a very important project, and we have experts working around the clock to make sure that we get the design right," said LeBas.
Local leaders say there have been too many delays and too many excuses as to why this project has yet to be built.
"Yes, we would like to be in a better position, now having spent that kind of money and have the construction already underway, if not completed," said Young.
"I think it's unacceptable for 32 designs to take over 10 years to finalize, and once they finalized them, you can't use them," said state Rep. Pat Connick, R-Marrero.
The estimated price tag on the Westbank ramp project is now pegged at $27 million.
