Perkins Road Green Light project begins
Print
Email
Save
Reprints
Twitter
Share
Del.icio.us
Digg
Facebook
Reddit
The city-parish will hold a groundbreaking ceremony this morning on $2.4 million in improvements to the Perkins Road/Acadian Thruway intersection, part of the city-parish’s ongoing Green Light Plan.
Also, a top aide from the mayor’s office confirmed there have been some discussions of adding amenities for pedestrians and cyclists just up the road in the Perkins Road overpass area.
Mike Futrell, chief administrative officer for Mayor-President Kip Holden, said the mayor’s office has been approached by several groups and civic associations from the neighborhoods surrounding the overpass area — including Poets and Philosophers, Southdowns and Zee Zee Gardens — about improving the area for pedestrians and bicycles.
Futrell said it was too early to talk about details, and finding the money will be an issue. But he said the mayor is receptive to the idea and timing it on the heels of the Green Light work “may be the right opportunity to do something in that area.”
The Perkins Road overpass area is home to a slew of locally owned bars, restaurants and retailers, including a grocery store and a drugstore. Some, such as Varsity Sports and Perks Coffee & Tea, are in retail segments that have in other areas seen local establishments squeezed out by national chains.
“It’s a unique area,” Futrell said. “If we can help, we will.”
As for the Green Light Plan, the Perkins/Acadian work will add six additional turn lanes to the intersection, adding a right-turn and left-turn lane to both southbound Acadian Thruway and westbound Perkins Road. Northbound Stanford Avenue will receive a new right-turn lane and eastbound Perkins Road will receive an additional left-turn lane.
The project is scheduled to finish in May. It is the 22nd project in the city’s Green Light Plan, which aims to address traffic congestion by improving bottlenecks.
“The Perkins at Stanford/Acadian intersection is one of the most heavily used intersections in Baton Rouge and represents a key entry point to our LSU campus for commuters, residents and businesses,” Holden said in a news release.
 | ||||
| Most Popular | Most Emailed | Hot Topics | ||
