The Voice of Southwest Louisiana September 2017 Issue

Editor's Note: This is the ninth in a series of stories that
will focus on the Interstate 10 Bridge replacement project.
LADOTD, in conjunction with the
Louisiana State Historic Preservation
Office (SHPO) and the Advisory Council
on Historic Places (ACHP) has completed
a Historic Bridge Inventory Study of
pre-1971 structures in Louisiana. The
Calcasieu River Bridge is categorized
as a non-priority bridge because it is
not an ideal candidate for long-term
preservation.
http://www.sp.dotd.la.gov/Inside_
LaDOTD/Divisions/Engineering/HBI/
Pages/default.aspx
Several concerned residents from Lake
Charles, Westlake, Sulphur and other
areas came and shared their comments.
Debra Ramirez passionately expressed
her concerns about history from the
past, such as Cole vs Matheson and
Scott vs Continental Oil that should be
considered in the replacement process.
Sandra Bullock reminisced about surveys
and information gathered over 40 years
ago, and still waiting for a replacement
bridge.
Betty Bates, Westlake City Council,
expressed her concerns for easy access
from Westlake to St Patrick’s Hospital,
via I-210, when experiencing medical
emergencies.
Elizabeth Hersey is right off the highway
in Westlake and is concerned about big
trucks that fall off the bridge.
Comments on the project will be
accepted for 45 days following the public
meeting date.
Comments that became part of the
official public meeting record needed to
be postmarked no later than August 14,
2017.
Visit www.i10lakecharles.com to submit
comments online and to access more
public meeting materials.
Mail your comments to the following address:
I-10 Calcasieu River Bridge Project
c/o HNTB Corporation
2021 Lakeshore Drive Suite 230
New Orleans, LA 70122
Volume 5 • Number 2 WWW.THEVOICEOFSOUTHWESTLA.COM September 2017 7