Site chosen for bridge

• By GREG GARLAND
• Advocate staff writer
• Published: Jul 3, 2009 - Page: 1B

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The group developing plans for a  proposed traffic loop around Baton Rouge has decided where it wants to build a bridge across the Mississippi River for the northern portion of the loop.

Mike Bruce, of ABMB Engineers, told area public officials and an advisory committee Thursday that a possible bridge crossing a few miles to the north of the U.S. 190 bridge has been eliminated.

He said environmental and maritime concerns made a river crossing there impractical.

“Our plan is for the bridge to be adjacent to the existing bridge,” Bruce said.

He said the new bridge would be built on the south side of the U.S. 190 bridge and link to Interstate 110 in East Baton Rouge Parish.

The U.S. 190 bridge would remain for local traffic, officials said.

The thornier political question of where to build a bridge for the southern portion of the proposed 85-mile loop — at Addis in West Baton Rouge Parish or between Plaquemine and White Castle in  Iberville Parish — remains unresolved.

Larry Johnson, a representative from West Baton Rouge Parish serving on the loop advisory committee,  said a bridge in Iberville Parish likely would be impractical for financial reasons.

The plan is for the proposed $4 billion traffic loop to be built as a toll road in a partnership with private-sector investors.

 Johnson suggested private investors would be less interested in a loop that swung further south, diverting fewer motorists from Interstate 10 onto the toll road.

“It seems to me if the numbers don’t fit, we should eliminate it,” Johnson said. “Why spend a lot of time on it?”

Political leaders ultimately would have to make a number of key decisions, said Walter Monsour, special adviser to Mayor-President Kip Holden.

“Our job as the project team is (to) put these options to the appropriate decisionmakers,” he said.