The Voice of Southwest Louisiana

Sarah Parson
Alan Ball
Kate Cotton
art industry of Lake Charles
has blossomed in recent
years, and with the numerous
festivals held every year,
giving the I-10 drive a facelift
may not be such a bad idea.
A new and improved I-10
bridge has been in the works
throughout my lifetime, and
even during my parent’s early
years. The topic is nothing
new, but time and time again,
more important projects,
legal hurdles, environmental
and stability analysis have
been in the way of any
rehabilitation projects coming
to life. The SWLA Economic
Development Alliance is
working to get the ball rolling
on a repair plan that the I-10
bridge so desperately needs.
The Alliance has started the
Infor10 campaign in order
to communicate the urgent
need for a better I-10 bridge,
clear any hurdles that are
in the way of starting the
project, and to ultimately
to work with city and state
agencies to move forward
on development projects.
The campaign was started to
unite the community in taking
the action steps to make I-10
safer for everyone. Inadequate
capacity for the amount of
traffic, no pullover space,
lane reductions, constant
protective barrier accidents,
and a number of other safety
concerns are only a few of
the items that the Alliance
has listed on their campaign
website infor10.org.
Promises of a new bridge
have gone on for far too
long. Cotten said in our
conversation, “There really
are people who will not cross
over that bridge. I have a
friend from Texas, and her
mom is one of those people.
It definitely is a set back for
anyone not willing to cross
I-10, so making improvements
to the bridge would definitely
be an improvement in that
aspect.” Cotten even believes
that an extensive project
could help business. “I think
that if some travelers want
to take a break from the
traffic and driving, they will
want to see what is around
town and just having that
down time could be great
for gaining are larger nonresident
client base.” Even for
those, like Parsons and Ball,
who don’t think about what
could structurally be wrong
with the bridge, they have a
clear understanding that the
bridge could be better than
it currently is. Ball explains,
“I think the bridge is pretty
safe, but of course it’s never
a bad idea to update the
stability and durability of
the materials. The road itself
needs to be kept up too in
order to prevent pot holes and
other traffic hazards.” Parsons
concurs, “I don't necessarily
think we need a brand new
bridge, but improvements
should be made for sure. If it
was decided that there needs
to be a new bridge, I wouldn't
be mad about it.”
The Interstate 10 Bridge has
provided, growth, history, and
convenience to the southwest
region for over half a century.
Just like some of the best
people we know, it gives and
gives of itself without asking
for anything in return. The
Infor10 campaign is turning
the tables and asking what
we as a community can do
for a bridge that has been a
defining part of our modern
history. The Alliance is asking
the community to join them
in their support for I-10
improvements by signing
a petition on the infor10.
org site. No donations are
necessary in order to sign the
petition.
Perhaps making a better
world for the next generation
really does start in our own
backyard.
6 December 2016 WWW.THEVOICEOFSOUTHWESTLA.COM Volume 4 • Number 3