The Baton Rouge Health District has received $2.7 million from the U.S. Economic Development Administration to support infrastructure upgrades, according to Steven Ceulemans, the health district’s executive director. The money will go towards improving wayfinding, streetscape and greenspace in the area, making it more coherent as a district, easier to navigate and more resistant to severe weather.
The R.E.A.C.H. (Regional Economic Acceleration through Coordinated Health) Gateway Infrastructure Enhancement Project will include enhancements to various intersections in Baton Rouge such as the Interstate 10 approach to Essen Blvd, the I- 10 approach to Bluebonnet Boulevard, the I-10 interstate approach to Ochsner-The Grove and Perkins Road/Quail Drive among others. The local match includes $350,000 from the MovEBR transportation program, according to Mayor Sharon Weston Broome who says that this strategic investment will not only beautify intersections but also prioritize pedestrian and bicycle safety while fortifying the economic impact and resilience of the Health District.
Native plants will be incorporated into resilient designs that will hold up to extreme weather and improve drainage as part of the project which most of planning is done now and new funding will support construction. On another note in Louisiana, West Monroe has been awarded a $1.7 million EDA grant to make improvements to deteriorated portions of the Black Bayou Canal, which is considered as the city’s main stormwater drainage artery; this project will be matched with $425,260 in local funds