District 11 residents learn about planned road improvements

St. Tammany News

At his monthly District 11 meeting Wednesday night, Parish Council Chair Steve Stefancik informed residents about district road improvements plans.

He said the Parish Council is set to approve the sale of $50 million in bonds to be used for infrastructure improvements.

Plans are to sell another $50 million next year. Plans have not be finalized as to in what order the planned road improvement projects will be completed, but Stefancik promised his constituents that at least two planned projects are in their district.

Stefancik said one of those roads is a connector roadway leading from Airport Road to U.S. Highway 11, providing another access into and out of the airport and the Airport Road area and opening up some land for industrial development.

Another road planned is a road replacing Dixie Ranch Road. Future plans for this road include connecting it to Louisiana Highway 36.

In the far future, plans include another road coming off Airport Road and also connecting to La. 36, providing some more arteries for people to transverse the parish.

Stefancik said there are also plans to widen and improve Northshore Boulevard in hopes to relieve some of the traffic congestion and better direct traffic into the mall and other shopping center parking lots.

The tentative plans, which are still being worked on by the parish and the city, include moving lights, adding turning lanes and adding at least one more driveway into the Northshore Mall parking lot.

Stefancik also told residents he expects the parish will have to redraw the Parish Council district after the 2008 election.

He said the parish is currently working on a comprehensive rezoning. He said this is a long process and will include a lot of public hearings.