Harlan Kirgan
The long-awaited Maple Avenue — La. 91 — repaving project was let by the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, according to an announcement on Thursday.
“I’m excited to see that this is actually is going to come to fruition,” said State Rep. Phillip DeVillier. “I know it has been a long time. A lot people were involved with getting it done. I want everyone that had their hands on it to know that I acknowledge it wasn’t one person getting it done. It was a group effort from the city and other state officials.”
The DOTD stated the project would be “Milling, patching, widening, overlay, and drainage.”
The project is from the T-intersection of La. 13 and Maple Avenue west to the Acadia Parish line.
No construction start date has been set for the project.
Prairie Construction of Opelousas won the project with a bid of $2,022,472.75.
“I’m glad they got awarded the bid,” said Eunice Mayor Scott Fontenot. “I think it is going to be a huge economic boost to the community. I believe the property values on that road should increase because it is going to be brand new road. Hopefully, that turns into more economic development.”
The road is a major east-west route through Eunice.
Fontenot said, “I was thinking about that earlier today and as long as I can remember since I’ve been driving it probably need some work. It is a main thoroughfare through the city. I’m just grateful it is going to be redone.”
DeVillier said he other officials are going to monitor the project’s progress.
“We want to stay on top of it and make sure at the end of the day we have a very good product that will pay off for the city for many years to come,” DeVillier said.
As a freshman representative DeVillier was confronted with the project being vetoed by Gov. John Bel Edwards. DeVillier eventually located surplus money to fund the paving project and saw it approved in the state’s capital outlay budget.
DeVillier said DOTD is also scheduled to approve a bid in October to repave La. 13 from the Evangeline Parish line to U.S. 190.
Another project in the works is to repave La. 13 from the T-intersection south to Sittig Road. No date has been set on that project.