Released by United States Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana – November 13, 2023
WASHINGTON DC – On November 13, 2023, in Baton Rouge, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) met with members of CRISIS (Capital Region Industry for Sustainable Infrastructure Solutions) and discussed the opportunities available from his Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) will improve the region’s transportation grid.
“Private industry is working to make it easier for their employees and neighbors to get back to work and back home,” said Dr. Cassidy. “The infrastructure plan is supporting those efforts by sending billions to Louisiana for new roads and bridges. This is another reason why we should feel positive about our future.”
Just last month, Cassidy announced that the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development would receive $88.3 million for the LA-415 Interconnector Project (Phase 1), thanks to the IIJA. This will make it easier for residents and workers in West Baton Rouge Parish to avoid early morning and late afternoon traffic.
Cassidy also discussed workforce development at the meeting, as many of those present work in the energy industry. The IIJA provides funding for workforce development projects, and an announcement was made in June that $450,000 would go to the Baton Rouge North Economic Development District for their HBCU Decarbonization Workforce Development Program.
CRISIS was founded by the Greater Baton Rouge Industry Alliance, the Baton Rouge Area Chamber and the Center for Planning Excellence, in order to have a unified leadership voice to advocate for the transportation needs of the Capital Region. CRISIS advocates for short-term projects to relieve urgent congestion issues, medium-term projects to address ongoing traffic concerns, and long-term projects to ensure a sustainable transportation grid into the future. Its Chairman, Mr. Kevin McCarroll, was present at the meeting.
“It was good to hear from Senator Cassidy about the opportunities for federal funding that can come to the Capital Region,” said Mr. McCarroll. “Our region’s partnership with our federal delegation will continue to be very important for us as we fund the major road and bridge projects we need in this region.”
