The full House approves a bill that could lead to the naming of a new Baton Rouge bridge over the Mississippi River after President Donald Trump. The state is looking at building a bridge south of Baton Rouge in Iberville Parish and the cost could be $3 billion. Livonia Representative Jeremy Lacombe says if naming the bridge after the President helps bring home the federal dollars to build the bridge, he’s all for it.
“We need this bridge more than anything. We need the bridge for hurricane evacuations; we need the bridge so that our people can have a way of life; we need the bridge for economic security. We need the bridge for a whole host of issues,” Lacombe said.
Lacombe amended the bill to say the bridge will only be named after President Trump if the federal government provides a substantial amount of funding for construction and if such funding is provided prior to January 20th, 2029. The author of the legislation, Monroe Representative Michael Echols, says a new bridge is needed to alleviate traffic congestion in the capital city.
“We’re tired of being stuck in traffic. We’re tired of not being able to move commerce, our friends and family over and across that river,” Echols said.
Echols says he introduced the legislation to get the President’s attention that another bridge is needed in the Baton Rouge area, and it needs supports from the federal government.
“This project is $3 billion to 4 billion. And we’ve been talking about it for 30 years,” Echols noted.
No one spoke out in opposition. The measure passed on a party-line vote, 68-26. It heads to the Louisiana Senate for more discussion.
