The state of our streets is not only embarrassing—it’s dangerous! We recently published the 2019 Louisiana Road and Bridge Report. In this document, we detail the true extent of the poor condition of Louisiana’s bad roads and bridges. These roads are wasting our time and money. Both of which are two resources Louisianians simply don’t have enough of. We make the case of why these conditions mean it’s time for a special session in Louisiana. Join us to take action to address our crumbling roads and bridges.
We Can’t Ignore The Facts.
Most drivers in Louisiana can attest to the terrible state of our roads and bridges. Just look at our Facebook page. Every week, we get multiple comments and stories about how fed up residents are with our bridges and roads. But the evidence isn’t just anecdotal—there are hard numbers to prove our roads are in dire need of repairs. In 2019 alone, Louisiana had to shut down 43 bridges due to their poor condition. Nineteen of those occurred just January through April! Furthermore, 26% of Louisiana’s roads are in poor condition. We can’t continue at this rate. Louisiana deserves better!
Bad Roads Are Getting Us The Wrong Kind Of Attention
Throughout the United States, people know Louisiana for our food, music, and culture. But as our roads and bridges get worse and worse, they’re earning us a bad reputation. For example, the American Society of Civil Engineers issued Louisiana a D+ rating for our roads and bridges. Would you—or your kids—be happy getting a D+ on a test or paper? It’s unacceptable. Additionally, the U.S. News and World Report ranked Louisiana 48th when it comes to infrastructure. Even Mississippi and Alabama have better roads and bridges than us! It’s embarrassing. We need to fix our roads before it starts affecting our tourism and business opportunities even more.
We Need A Special Session To Fix This Issue
Louisiana has a backlog of $26 billion in road and bridge maintenance. That means we have a LOT of work to do, but no real plan to get it done. Because 2020 is an even-numbered year, our legislature can’t address fiscal matters during this year’s regular sessions. But we can’t wait any longer! However, the legislature or the governor could call a special session in 2020 to address this crisis. To budget for road and bridge repairs, our government needs a special session.
Take Action To #FixLaRoads
As the Louisiana Coalition to Fix Our Roads, our mission is to address the state’s crumbling roads and their negative impact on our economy, safety, and way of life. You can help! Take action with our online form to tell our lawmakers that enough’s enough. On that same page, you can also submit a photo of crumbling roads and bridges you encounter every day. Engage with us on Facebook and Twitter by tagging #FixLARoads. If enough of our voices are heard, we can’t be ignored! Tell your legislators we need a special session—we elected them to work for us, after all!