re: New St. Bernard port gets $226m federal grant

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New St. Bernard port gets $226m federal grant

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Those slimy crooks in St Bernard will fight over that money and the port will never get built and heads will roll and people will go to jail

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Seems a Violet loop linking to the base of the bridge and Paris Rd is a more viable alternative than a whole new highway from I-10 to violet.

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This is essentially what they're proposing now. They wanted an I-10 to Violet road originally but now they're pushing a 510 to Violet elevated road. They rumor is they would creat an off-ramp coming down the Green Bridge that you would exit on your way to the parish and the road would travel over that marshland kind of like the Spillway.


Something like this where you would exit on the Chalmette side of the bridge:

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What's wrong with linking to Paris Road?

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this is what I think is the best choice. well, allowing only trucks to exit off of 310 and reach the port.

no matter the time the new highway will take, or the money...this is mostly private money. and the port itself will take a few years to build.

this project is so much farther along than the public knows it is funny. big money wins no matter how many yard signs people want to put up.

That’s right through my duck blind baw!

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I'm sure people in Chalmette and Arabi are all for it, especially if traffic diverts before Paris Road.

It'll just be the idiot down-the-roaders who don't know any better that are affected, right?

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Kind of... you'd be hard-pressed to find many residents for it. Every politician that ran an "anti-port" campaign won in this last election with ease. The local restaurant, gas station, donut shop, etc., owners are thrilled because they'll get a shite load of new business. Especially the Paris Rd. corridor. Mr. Binky's fixing to be lit!!

I live in St Bernard.

This facility is going to be built. It is going to be an economic boon for the metro area. It is going to provide a lot of jobs.

Becuase a state entity owns the facility, there won't be any property taxes paid. Even if the "back half" of the land does bring manufacturing, etc, my guess is the port will own all those buildings and lease them out, so again, no property taxes.

The businesses that come here will pay income tax to the state. If the employees move here, they will buy houses here, pay local property taxes, buy things here and pay sales taxes here, etc.

But the tax impact to St. Bernard parish government won't be all that much, and is heavily dependent on employees moving here.

Everyone, if they are being honest and smart, which many aren't... knows that this is going to be built. The port does not require local permission or permitting. This is a fine example of how heavy handed and powerful the state (and state agencies) are.

I do think the port / state are willing to work with the locals. They will do buyouts including of the little-used school. The biggest issue is the new road. It's going to be a toll road and it's going to be a P3 deal. There are investors lined up. It will run from just south of the Green Bridge on an angle to the back of the plot, and then down.

The problem is, the port is unwilling to wait to build until the road is ready. The port is taking the position that phase 1 "isn't that much traffic". To most of us, one truck is too much traffic.

But for many people, including our new parish council chairman, who just so happens to be part of the group that is running the opposition, they have no desire to negotiate or compromise. They don't want it at all. Period. And they have convinced a lot of uneducated locals that they can actually stop it.

News flash: They can not and will not.

What is really pathetic is that the opposition group has decided that their tactic is to try to convince everyone that the port is not needed, or if it is, then it should be in West Bank Plaquemines or offshore... both of which are in the middle of nowhere and would require SIGNIFICANTLY more road and rail construction and displacement.

I understand being concerned about the port. I understand the traffic issues. I understand the concern of the poor people in Violet who would live near this. All are valid concerns.

But the opposition has chosen the wrong tact and they will fail.

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Everyone, if they are being honest and smart, which many aren't... knows that this is going to be built. The port does not require local permission or permitting. This is a fine example of how heavy handed and powerful the state (and state agencies) are.

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I'm hoping that it takes off and ends up being a huge success for St. Bernard in particular.

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People bring up the airport, and it's a similar example. You have to build the revenue generating parts first when there is already some kind of infrastructure available to access it. Is it perfect, no. But it makes the most sense.

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It is... but it's still not a great comparison. With the airport, you were talking about a half mile with 2 intersections, and mainly passenger cars.

With this, it's 10 miles, probably a dozen red lights, through commercial-ish areas, passing several neighborhoods, and with 18 wheelers.

Personally, if I saw more progress being built on the road, I'd be ok with going the first couple of years without it.

I do think doing a P3 is going to help. In no way would I trust DOTD to run this themselves... it would take 20 years lol.

What frustrates me is that the road should have been part of the plans from Day 1. The fact it was added on about 2 years after the LIT plans were initially developed is a huge concern to me. We could have been two years further along.

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I take it that much of the route will be elevated? It's kind of weird that they are building a road like that on swampy terrain but I don't see another way.

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Yes. This is also being billed as another evacuation route.

Since the great promises during the 1927 flood, St Bernard residents have been skeptical of the government promises (rightfully so).