Key benefits

    Safety

    Reduce traffic accidents downtown by 55% with the addition of bump outs, one-way traffic, and ADA compliant sidewalks and ramps. Eliminate the number of incidents with utility poles by nearly 100% with the undergrounding and modernization of public utilities. Reduce roadway incidents by 35% with new lighting throughout the component areas.

    Environmental sustainability

    Maximize multimodal transportation opportunities to reduce carbon emissions, and ensure all utility improvements meet the city’s zero-impact stormwater policy to mitigate flooding impacts that disrupt local businesses and create hazardous road conditions for residents.

    Quality of life

    Expand multimodal transportation opportunities for residents and visitors, including expanded sidewalks, bike lanes, and lighting to improve connectivity throughout the city – especially for 11% of households without access to a vehicle. Enhance streetscape design throughout downtown to increase pedestrian traffic that supports more than 70 small businesses located in the historic and cultural districts along the Ouachita River. 

    Economic Competitiveness

    Improve public infrastructure along key corridors such as Highland Park – a certified, shovel-ready site designated by Louisiana Economic Development, Stella/Mill Gateway – a major roadway connecting vehicular traffic from Interstate 20 to downtown West Monroe and Lea Joyner Bridge into Monroe, and Coleman Avenue – a roadway connecting West Monroe to Monroe through the Endom Bridge and intersecting with a railway supporting regionally-significant industry such as Graphic Packaging International. 

    State of good repair

    Reconstruct some of the city’s most highly trafficked roadways that have been susceptible to vehicular and pedestrian accidents as well as severe flooding in recent years. Additionally, replace and modernize aging infrastructure that is past its useful life – asphalt roads 20+ years old and utilities 50+ years old.

    Partnership

    Ongoing partnership with all levels of government, including the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, Delta Regional Authority, and U.S. Department of Agriculture – Rural Development to implement the project and ancillary developments. Additionally, the city has built strong partnerships with its local development district, economic development organizations, private utility companies, local industry, and institutions of higher education – among others – to sustain regional collaboration beyond the life of the project.

    Innovation

    Incorporate several innovative technologies including Light-Emitting Diode (LED) street lighting fixtures with dimming capability, small cell wireless facilities, Emergency Location Marker (ELM) system, and weather stations to save energy and enhance public safety.