North-South Hurricane Corridor Purpose and Need

...from a letter dated April 13, 2005 from the FHWA to the cooperating agencies...

Dear Gentlemen:

We want to thank all who contributed their comments concerning the revised purpose and need for the subject project.

The major purpose of this project is to provide an improved North-South link between the Houma/Thibodeaux area and I-10 transportation link that will also provide safer, more efficient movement of people and goods as well as Hurricane Evacuation. Detailed information concerning the transportation needs for this North-South link will be developed and verified through an in-depth traffic study, which will begin immediately. The results of the traffic study will be made available to the agencies prior to the NEPA/404 decision on alternatives.

The major purpose is to provide an improved North-South transportation link that will also provide safer, more efficient movement of people and goods as well as Hurricane Evacuation. The project team is aware that there are sensitive wetland issues and initiatives between Houma-Thibodeaux and LA 3127, along with wildlife habitat, endangered and threatened species. We appreciate the frankness in which these concerns have been expressed in your comments. It is a fact that there is a major wetland area restricting the safe efficient movement of people and goods in a north-south manner including hurricane evacuation. Basic information concerning the transportation needs will be developed. A traffic study with the major transportation link need will be conducted. Please be assured that alternatives will be developed that will fulfill the transportation needs of the area as well minimize the impact to the social, economic and environmental aspects of the area. It is also noted that the communities in the area desire coastal restoration, improved transportation routes and hurricane protection. We trust that we can collectively find a solution meeting the transportation purpose and needs and restoration goals. This balancing will take the thoughtful consideration of all the needs of the area.

Sincerely yours,

William A. Sussmann

Division Administrator

Purpose & Need: refined November, 2010

The purpose of the Houma-Thibodaux to LA 3127 Connection is to improve north-south system linkage within the Houma-Thibodaux area. A secondary purpose is to improve emergency evacuation from this area of Louisiana. The area's overall transportation system linkage would be improved by the establishment of a functional transportation facility that provides north-south connectivity to the area's existing roadway network. This facility would also facilitate improved connectivity and mobility to the interstate system to the north, as well as future Interstate 49 route to the south, in the South Central Planning and Development District serving the Parishes of Terrebonne, Lafourche, Assumption, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Charles, and St. Mary.

The need to improve molitbiy by the proposed action is demonstrated by the following factors:

- Inadequate north-south transportation system linkage;

- Traffic congestion upon the roadway network in the Thibodaux area due to existing unmet travel demand in the north-south direction;

- Lack of a north-south emergency evacuation route and north-south rerouting opportunities in the Thibodaux area.

A functional north-south transportation link is a link that meets the transportation system demand for north-south traffic movement within the project study area for all facility users. It is a link that also improves north-south connectivity and mobility. At this time the transportation network of the project study area does not provide a functional north-south route as LA 20 underserves the transportation demand due to capacity issues and its circuitous route to link US 90 with LA 3127.

Background: updated January 26, 2006

The March 1996 Louisiana Statewide Intermodal Transportation Plan placed the Houma-Thibodaux to I-10 Connection in the Tier 3 funding level of projects to pursue. This proposed project, identified as one of eleven projects throughout the state in this tier, was one of the few projects in the entire plan not consisting of a proposed existing interstate improvement. The plan noted that this facility would provide “vastly improved north-south access and enhanced evacuation capabilities.” The plan also noted that, “The major obstacle to this link (i.e. the Mississippi River) has already been overcome through the completion of a new bridge between Gramercy and Wallace.”

In 1998, Congress, in the Transportation Equity Act for the 21^st Century (TEA-21) noted that their intent for this project (listed as High Priority Project item 202, LA 024) was to “Construct Houma-Thibodaux to I-10 connector from Gramercy to Houma”. It is noted that the connection from I-10 via LA 641, and the GramercyBridgeis in place, and the proposed connection from the GramercyBridgeto LA 3127 has received a USCOE 404 Permit and has been approved for construction. Because of the above existing/underway infrastructure, the purpose and need for this effort is to connect the Houma/Thibodaux area north to LA 3127 and the communities of the Mississippi River Corridor (including Vacherie) south to the Houma-Thibodaux area.

The December 2003 Louisiana Statewide Transportation Plan (LSTP) continued to identify this regional linkage to be of statewide importance, including emphasis on the additional facilitation of moving people during hurricane evacuation that such linkage and improvement to the transportation system would provide.

The implementation of the first two lanes of the proposed four-lane facility is classified as a Priority A mega project in funding Scenario 2. According to the plan, “Priority A mega projects which scored and ranked high in both the quantitative (travel demand model results) and qualitative (plan goals and objectives) evaluation, were considered highest priority and included in funding Scenario 2.” It should be noted that funding Scenario 1 in the LSTP is a status quo scenario in which no new major projects could be constructed with regular trust fund revenue. Only projects earmarked by Congress as High Priority Projects, with additional Federal-aid funds provided, such as this project, could be undertaken by DOTD.

purpose & need