Plans to extend Fred and Ruth Zigler Memorial Drive across Hwy. 26 to Airport Road in Jennings are expected to pave future growth and development near the city’s airport.

The $2 million project, which could begin by early 2025, will provide better access to Airport Road and accommodate new businesses looking to locate west of Hwy. 26 and just south of Interstate 10, according to Mayor Henry Guinn.

“What it represents for the City of Jennings is economic development,’” Guinn said. “It’s progress because we are about to open up 14 acres of the most prime real estate inside the city limits for new businesses.”

The development is expected to create jobs, promote economic development, and bring new businesses and opportunity to the city, Guinn said.

“When you are heading east on I-10 and you get into the area of the airfield, everything becomes visible,” he said. “While these lots may not have Hwy. 26 frontage road access, they are going to have ZIgler road access, which means these businesses are going to be the first thing that interstate travelers see when they get into the city limits….Whoever has those western most lots will have the best visibility from the south side of I-10.”

The city released a conceptual design for the $2 million extension project, which it hopes to fund with $1 million from federal infrastructure funds from Congressman Clay Higgins. The remaining balance for the project will come from the city’s general fund.

Guinn said the city has already been in discussions with potential businesses seeking to establish long-term leases with the Airport Commission for some of the 11 available lots, he said. Everything on the west side of La.. 26 is owned by the Airport Commission, including the fast food restaurants, bank and a car dealership.

“It’s a tremendous source of revenue for the airport, which allows them to go and chase all these federal grants because they have the match to put up significant amounts of money,” Guinn said. “Our airport is a diamond in the rough. It is really a jewel when you look at city’s the size of Jennings. Nobody has the airport facility that we have….We’re really trying to grow and capitalize on some economic development of this unused property.”

The city is also working to develop infrastructure for about 1200-acres on the north side of I-10 which includes plans for a tractor dealership and a large truck dealership.

“All of this means jobs for the city,” Guinn said. “It’s growing your tax base. It’s opportunities. There’s so many individuals who have approached me in the past six years about when are we getting a sit down restaurant or another convenience store, but the real issue has been the land. There is just so much land and if people don’t want to sell or lease it at a reasonable price then it kills economic development. The beauty of this is it is controlled by the Airport Commission who can lease it and fund other operations at the airport. They are not in business to drive people away. The more tenants they have the more revenue that they make.”

The project also calls for more than 300 parking spots on the western most side of the airport property for aviation events which are increasing in the city.

“One of the biggest drawbacks for these events has always been pedestrian parking,” he said. “Where do you park these people? We’ve always utilized the access to the Days Inn parking, but if the owner ever said we’ve got too many cars in the parking lot, and sometimes they do, they can say no more parking and that hurts our ability to have an air show or any kind of aviation activities. The same thing applies to Shop Rite. If you put 100 cars in their 18-wheeler parking lot then it slows down their diesel sales. Everything factors in to, we need safe parking for aviation events.”

If businesses need to tie in and use that parking as part of their business model, then the city will work with the Airport Commission to ensure they have the ability to utilize the parking.

The city has entered into a contract with the Alliance Transportation Group (ATG) to complete a Tier 3 traffic impact analysis as required by the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development.

“That analyzes in great detail the number of cars on Hwy. 26, the number of cars turning into individual driveways, the number of cars entering Airport Road, as well as the number of cars entering into any of the businesses in that area,” Guinn said. “It is a full blown analysis of Hwy. 26 and we analyze from one mile north of the interstate south to Airport Road.”

Although the traffic analysis is not expected to be completed until February 2024, Guinn said a preliminary traffic count was surprising, particularly the amount of left hand turns.

“What drove this whole thing is the amount of crashes at Hwy. 26 and the Service Road,” Guinn said. “We were working with DOTD to get some safety dollars to alleviate the pressure off of that intersection.”

DOTD crews are currently working at the intersection to offset the turn lanes so that each left hand turning vehicle can see oncoming traffic, Guinn said.

“Simultaneously as we are going through the safety of that intersection, ShopRite approached us with the intent to expand,” he said. “Already in conversations with DOTD, we started looking at expansion possibilities and how we would direct traffic, 18-wheelers and really clean up a very cluttered intersection. That’s how we got to where we are today.”

The biggest impact during the project will be widening of Airport Road which will be widened to three-lanes from the Zigler exertion to the airport. This will affect 18-wheeler and commercial traffic going to and from the airport. The north to south traffic on Hwy. 26 will not be affected.

“The intersection of Airport Road and Hwy. 26 is too narrow, so the 18-wheeler traffic is constantly bumping or running into utilities that need to be relocated and buried so that the turning radius on Airport Road can be widened,” he said.