The Lake Charles Bridge was among topics  discussed at the 14th Annual Family & Youth Legislative Breakfast. The event gives attendees an opportunity to hear from, ask questions of and meet one-on-one with the Southwest Louisiana legislative delegation to discuss issues affecting the community.

Rep. Phillip Tarver, R-Lake Charles, referred to the newly approved bridge proposal, tweaks to the Blue Cross/Elevance deal and the latest congressional map as “better bad deals,” despite the best efforts of members of the local delegation. The new administration has him feeling better about the next four years.

“The number one question people always ask is, why don’t we have the money (to build a bridge that will not be tolled), Sen. Mark Abraham, R-Lake Charles, said. “The federal government has money. The state government has money.” We went down that road, the Senate Chair of the Joint Legislative Transportation, Highways and Public Works Committee said. He spoke in favor of the P3 partnership for a tolled bridge at the Jan. 30 hearing Jan. 30. The proposal passed. An agreement was signed. The DOTD expects financial closure in April and approved design packages over the next two years with a final approved design slated for 2026. Some construction is expected to begin this year, according to John Guidroz, a spokesperson for the DOTD Lake Charles office.

Abraham brought up visits by presidents who said they would come up with money for the bridge. The federal government came through with $150 million for the $2.1 billion project, and funded much larger bridge projects in other parts of the U.S.

After the meeting, in a one-on-one, Rep. Les Farnum, R-Sulphur, said, “We still don’t know how much the bridge is going to cost.”

Sen. Jeremy Stine, R-Lake Charles, said it was Abraham who advised the former Department of Transportation Secretary to apply for federal grant monies. Abraham proposed the state take money out of savings.

“But you see, there are 144 legislators, and those legislators do not want to give all that money to Southwest Louisiana,” he said, adding that many of them are “Lake Charles weary,” after hearing about area needs relating to the 2020 hurricanes’ devastation.

“So we tried the feds. We tried the state. Then the only thing left is a toll,” Abraham said.

(SUBHEAD) Why is this toll better than the one before?

That question was posed and answered by Abraham. For one thing, locally registered private car and truck owners from Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron and Jeff Davis parishes will pay 25 cents to cross the bridge, whether they’re pulling a trailer or boat, for example. Before, a vehicle that was over 20 feet would have been paying over $2.

Large and medium truck tolls were reduced, and with the new deal a large commercial truck such as an 18-wheeler, will pay $8 instead of the originally proposed $12.

The old proposal did not include the bonding of $40 million allocated for the bridge project.

The final difference, according to Abrham, is that the Louisiana delegation negotiated 15 percent ownership in the bridge.

“Those profits go to Southwest Louisiana  and allows us to reduce the total needed for other Southwest Louisiana projects.

“It was a hard decision but this deal is much, much better than the one we had two months ago,” he said.

In Oct. the Joint Legislative Committee voted down the P3 partnership for a tolled bridge. The Louisiana delegation spoke against the plan.

By the time the bridge is built, all tolls will likely increase based on the consumer price index beginning this year. In about seven years, that will mean instead of 25 cents, locals in private vehicles will pay about 50- to 60 cents, Sen. Jeremy Stine, R-Lake Charles, roughly estimated based on CPI history.

The new bridge will not be as steep. It will have more lanes, full shoulders and roadway lighting.

The DOTD’s private partner remains Calcasieu Bridge Partners CBP. includes three equity members from out of the country, Plenary Americas, Sacyr Infrastructure and Acciona Concesiones, The design-build contractor is Aecon Infrastructure Development, Inc. and Acciona Construction USA Corp. The lead designer is a joint venture between Arcadis U.S. Huval & Associates, Janssen & Spaans Engineering and Modjeski & Masters. Toll operator is Kapsch TrafficCom, a company with headquarters in Vienna, Austria.

Rep. Troy Romero, R-Jennings, said the local delegation is committed to continuing to raise/find money that will lower the toll.

Also at the dais were Stine, Farnum, and Rep. Brett Geymann, R-Lake Charles.

Rep. Ryan Bourriaque, R-Abbeville, was absent. He was at a Joint Legislative Transportation, Highways and Public Works Committee public hearing/”roadshow” in Monroe, Louisiana.