Monroe Dispatch - No Struggle, No Progress

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD)put on their roadshow in Monroe LA on Tuesday February 6, 2024 at Abe E. Pierce conference Hall, informing people of the various road and other projects underway, and the State leaders from DODT and state/local/were on hand to listen to the concerns on state projects that affect their way of life. A major concern of those who attended the event was about the timeframe of when projects would begin in their area. Citizens questioned what projects were upcoming and also to gave comments concerning projects. There were a number of projects that the Louisiana DOTD officials said are already funded that need to go to the planning stage with input from the legislative. leaders who are the ones who can greenlight a project. Several projects were of particular interest, all south of Monroe the area that is between Richwood No. #1 and Richwood Rd. #2 which consists of the neighborhoods Robinson Place, Boef River subdivision, King Oaks, and South Park, which are prone to severe flooding. The 2016 flood was a stark reminder of how bad things can be. The area is comprised of 900 homes, with many residents, predominantly, black, living, at the poverty line. There is a major hospital Monroe Medical Center in the area, in addition to a school and a public library. Other projects on the southside of Monroe included Texas Avenue bridge which has long been in need of repairs and is also a major concern for motorists, Hwy 165 and Winnsboro Rd intersection. Raccoon Bayou was mentioned as it is home to 99%. African-American population where the poverty rate is very high. DOTD said that Raccoon Bayou and the neighborhood bound by Richwood Roads have priority 1 status, meaning that they can begin almost immediately. All that is missing is for local government officials to give the green light.