It may have taken three decades to get it started, but it appears that persistence has paid off, as the official groundbreaking ceremony was held for construction to begin in the Kansas Lane Extension Project. Louisiana’s Gov. John Bel Edwards was in attendance as Monroe mayor Friday Ellis officially announced that the long-awaited project is off and running. It has been a project that has gone through at least three mayoral administrations and numerous gubernatorial administrations, but after hearing comments from mayor Ellis, it appears that the project was well worth the wait. Upon completion, the project will connect Kansas Lane to Forsythe Extension at Hwy 165. Phase One, which is slated to begin very soon, will extend from Hwy 165 to Old Sterlington Road. For those that travels on Old Sterlington Road, motorists only need to look west in the direction towards Hwy 165 and they will see a large swarth of land that has already been cleared for construction. Gov. Edwards mentioned several entities that will benefit from the project, citing that ULM(University of Louisiana at Monroe) will benefit as well as the airport. “You also have VCDM”, said Edwards. Edwards said that the project is “much more important now, than when it was back then”. Ellis said that with the completion of the project, the new route will improve access to the airport and to Pecanland Mall. But the biggest benefit according to Ellis, is that the Extension will help alleviate traffic congestion on both Hwy 80 that intersects Kansas Lane and Hwy 165. Ellis said that there was a collaboration between the city and the state to secure funding through a road transfer program, where $22 million will go toward funding the project.

The 2.2 mile project will consist of three phases with the Old Sterlington Road to Hwy 165 being phase 1, followed by Phase 2 which Ellis said is slated to start in the fall, which will connect Kansas Lane that is adjacent to the Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home through the Cypress Point community. Phase 3 which should begin in late 2024 -2025, will be where both will be connected. Ellis also said that with the Extension, traffic will be diverted from Hwy 165 and Hwy 80 that should help reduce accidents and fatalities. Will there eve be any improvements made above the ground in South Monroe? Voters and taxpayers are waiting and watching!