by Malcolm Butler
Following a February 24 story regarding the roundabouts that are coming upon the completion of the new Cooktown Bridge, there was plenty of feedback in regards to the lack of a fourth roundabout.
The question many people asked was why no fourth roundabout (second on the south side of the new bridge)?
Ruston Mayor Ronny Walker believes a fourth roundabout would better serve traffic coming off the frontage roads south of Interstate 20. However, the financial implications and space limitations of putting the fourth roundabout is ultimately what has prevented it from being included in the current construction.
Bridget Skinner, who serves as the DOTD’s area engineer for Lincoln Parish, talked in more detail about those challenges.
“Right now we are restricted on the funding,” said Skinner. “The challenge is (the fourth roundabout) has to fit in between property from Starbucks and the gas station (across the road) that is currently going under redevelopment. I do have real estate looking at the appraisal for what it would take. The driveway from Starbucks that connects to 544 would have to come out.
“We have to look at the cost estimate for that. The last time we did was about 10 years ago, and at that point it wasn’t included in the current project because the cost estimate was too high.”
Although Skinner didn’t have the exact cost of the estimate from a decade ago, she said it was in the “multiple millions of dollars just for the right of way acquisition.”
So could a fourth roundabout still be added into the current project?
“It’s too late for this project,” Skinner. “Federal laws cap the amount of money you can change order into a project. We wouldn’t be able to change order a fourth roundabout into this project because it would exceed that federal limit.
“But if we get the funding for it, we could have it designed and roll into construction of it where the public wouldn’t feel a difference. That could be a possibility.”
However, Skinner brought up another possibility that is being seriously discussed.
“If the fourth roundabout at that location isn’t financially feasible, we are looking at the possibility of one at Bearcat Drive (and Tech Drive),” said Skinner.
Bearcat Drive is the intersection on Tech Drive located just south of the Chevron and just north of the Marbury Center that leads to Ruston High School.
“We could facilitate drivers (coming off the frontage road) turning south (on Tech Drive) and turning on the roundabout on Bearcat Drive to head back north,” said Skinner. “There is a lot more property open there. We have a conceptual drawing of it and a roundabout would fit there. It would be a lot less expensive and something that we could fund.”
District 12 State Representative Chris Turner said there are on-going discussions within the legislation about this alternate option.
“They still have to study it, and they still have to do it,” said Turner. “But the point is if you put in a fourth roundabout it is still going to slow things down with (Temple Baptist Church) traffic. They say that’s 1,000 to 1,500 vehicles.
“So if you make everyone go south then they can use the roundabout (at Bearcat Drive) to turn around and come back north to get onto the interstate. It will create a better flow.”
Turner said the original price tag on the entire Cooktown Bridge construction project, including four roundabouts, was roughly $46 million, and it was reduced to around $39 million when the fourth roundabout was taken out of the equation.
“I have not seen the paperwork on this, but I have talked to (Mayor Walker) and others in the state DOTD and that’s what I understand,” said Turner. “It was roughly $6 million cheaper without the fourth roundabout. It’s a lot more money.”
If a roundabout is constructed at Bearcat Drive and Tech Drive, a median would be included that would run from that roundabout all the way north to in front of Starbucks. This would revent motorists from turning across the lanes whether traveling north or south.
“That is my understanding to keep traffic flowing and to reduce accidents,” said Turner. “That’s one of the most dangerous stretches in Ruston.
“There is still a lot up in the air and a lot of planning to do for this. I don’t know where we are going to end up.”
Turner said Glenn Ledet, the new Secretary of the DOTD in Louisiana, has been to Lincoln Parish numerous times since being appointed to his position by Governor Jeff Landry in June.
“Glenn Ledet is so forward thinking,” said Turner. “He is not focused on the now. He is thinking about 10, 15, 20 years down the road and what the needs will be. What are we going to need then? That’s what they are focused on. It’s for future growth needs.”
