Bill focuses on funding for fourth bridge project by Scott Rogers - posted Wednesday, May 16th, 2007 @ 11:25 pm  E-mail Story |  Print Story  State Rep. Mike Walsworth's legislation to create a separate board to focus on funding for the proposed fourth Ouachita River bridge could be presented to the House next week. The legislation is scheduled to be discussed in committee meetings today (Thursday), Walsworth said. The legislation calls for the creation of the Ouachita Expressway Authority and a board of commissioners. "We're trying to make it like what we did with the port a few years ago, and that's to have one group whose sole focus is on the Fourth bridge," Walsworth said. "That bridge is so important for our area, and I think it's important to a lot of people in Ouachita Parish." Walsworth believes the project would benefit by "bringing it out of the confines of the police jury to this one group. Not to take anything from the police jury, but they have a lot of things to focus on, and this is just a huge project." So far, he said no other lawmaker has approached him to voice their opposition to his legislation. Under Walsworth's plan, the Ouachita Expressway Authority would have "full corporate powers to promote, plan, finance, develop, construct, control, regulate, operate and maintain any limited access tollway or transit way to be constructed within its jurisdiction." Members of the Ouachita Expressway Authority would be appointed by the Ouachita Parish Police Jury, Monroe Chamber of Commerce, West Monroe/West Ouachita Chamber of Commerce, president of the University of Louisiana at Monroe, Louisiana Department of Transportation, Ouachita Council of Governments and Development, and the 5th Congressional District representative. The Police Jury and DOTD each would be allowed to appoint two members to the board. The others can appoint one member each. The expressway authority also could have projects constructed in Ouachita Parish as long as an economic feasibility study is conducted. The Ouachita Council of Governments would serve in an advisory capacity to the board relative to any project or projects to be undertaken by the authority, Walsworth's legislation states. The legislation, if passed in its current state, also would give the authority the right "to impose, revise and adjust, from time to time, tolls, fees, and charges in connection with projects of the authority sufficient to pay all project costs, maintenance, operation, and debt service." Congress already has appropriated $1.25 million for the bridge project that will link La. 143 with U.S. Highway 165. The police jury has requested $350,000 in priority 2 funding from the state to provide matching money to secure federal funds already designated for the bridge project. For the past several years, the parish has applied for state capital outlay funding for the bridge project to provide the match needed to obtain the federal funds. It has not been determined how much the project would cost, but police juror Paul Hargrove has said it could be upwards to $200 million. The project also would take several years to complete. The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development has recently agreed to completely fund another study for the proposed construction of the fourth river bridge. That phase zero study will better identify cost estimates, Hargrove said. The federal government will have to kick in most of the funding for the project, Walsworth said, but the state could still be responsible for $20 million, assuming the project costs $100 million. "We know we're going to have to find some money for it, but it is on the state's mega-project list, and we're looking for federal funding," Walsworth said, adding that Congressman Rodney Alexander has pledged his support in getting the federal monies needed to complete the new bridge.