Louisiana Governor's Office issued the following announcement on June 24.
Gov. John Bel Edwards and Department of Transportation and Development Secretary Shawn Wilson commended the bipartisan cooperation that resulted in a framework for historic federal investment in critical projects related to roads, bridges, mitigation and coastal protection among other things.
“I commend the Biden administration and the bipartisan group of senators on reaching an agreement on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill Framework, which delivers on the president’s promise of investment into the nation’s infrastructure and transportation system,” said Gov. John Bel Edwards. “Secretary Wilson and I worked with Sen. Bill Cassidy, other governors and members of Congress on many of the ideas that were discussed. Not only will this aid in modernizing America’s infrastructure, but it will greatly help Louisiana with its backlog of critical projects. Investments such as those potentially available to us through this framework will boost Louisiana’s economic development and create a lasting infrastructure system for both our urban and rural communities. This is the first large-scale funding effort that will make a difference across the country, and nowhere will it be more appreciated than in Louisiana. This is an example of what government can do when we put differences aside, place sustainable policy first and work for what’s best for the country.”
“I am looking forward to further development of this framework and passage of critical legislation that will greatly benefit all transportation departments across the country,” said Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development Secretary Shawn D. Wilson, Ph.D. “As the incoming president of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, I can tell you that not only does Louisiana have great needs, but DOTs across the country are in need of a strong federal structure and upgrades to their systems. There are many needs across the state that we have to address, such as the I-49 Connector project, the Calcasieu River Bridge in Lake Charles and the growing traffic congestion in the Capitol Region, which continues to worsen as the area grows. This bill gives this department the opportunity to advance multimodal projects that have been in our state transportation plan for years.”
Original source can be found here.