Nearly a decade after the catastrophic August 2016 flood, millions of dollars from a lawsuit over I-12’s concrete median barriers are being put to work improving drainage in Livingston Parish.
A $21.5 million settlement will provide $6.4 million to modify roughly 13 miles of interstate barriers between East Baton Rouge Parish and Livingston Parish, creating additional openings to allow floodwaters to move more freely across the corridor. Construction is expected to begin in September, with remaining settlement funds available for other drainage improvements in Denham Springs and Walker.
Gov. Jeff Landry has signed legislation creating a dedicated new funding stream for flood-risk reduction and watershed restoration in the Amite River Basin.
The new Watershed Restoration and Conservation Fund will redirect the basin’s share of state sand severance taxes—nearly $1 million annually—toward projects designed to slow, store and better manage stormwater.
More importantly, that recurring revenue could serve as the local match needed to unlock millions more in federal funding, giving the Amite River Basin Commission a new tool to move long-planned projects from the drawing board to construction
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