Nicholson @ Brightside Green Light Project

Last March 2013, there was the following blub in the Advocate regarding the status of this project:

quote:

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ASK THE ADVOCATE: Nicholson at Brightside

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quote:

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"The Nicholson Drive at W. Lee/Brightside intersection is certainly one of the higher volume intersections in this area. A project to significantly improve the intersection was included as part of our Green Light Program. This project is actually a partnership between the city-parish and the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development since Nicholson Drive is a state route. The project will provide a dedicated left turn lane, a thru lane, and a shared thru-right lane at each leg of the intersection. It will also raise the roadway grade at the intersection to lessen the steep incline over the railroad tracks. The end result is a much safer intersection with the capacity to handle not just the current traffic volume, but volumes anticipated in 2030. The project is complicated due to the constraints caused by the railroad being so close to the intersection and being several feet higher than the existing roadway and our desire to incorporate the pedestrian-bike lane improvements. The project will also replace the bridge on Nicholson just south of this intersection. The project design is 98 percent complete and right of way acquisition is nearly complete. Negotiations are ongoing with the railroad regarding the crossing on Brightside. The project will be let by DOTD and the schedule is under their control, but we expect to begin clearing and moving utilities in the early part of 2014."

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At that time, the Green Light Plan website indicated that the project was still in the design phase, which was 98% complete.

Here we are over a year later, and the Green Light website has the same status update regarding the project. Still in the design phase and still meeting with the railroad regarding the
Right of Way. It also doesn't look like there has been any utilities work in early 2014 as was anticipated.

Does anyone know the reasons for the continued delays on this project. It would just make absolute sense for them to have begun the work on this project while LSU is out on summer school.