ERIK SANZENBACH / L’Observateur / June 14, 2000

LAPLACE – Thanks to a parish road project that prioritized the most deserving streets, Woodland Drive is no longer the roller-coaster ride it used to be.

Parish officials officially opened a newly-renovated and smooth-riding Woodland Drive Friday from U.S. Highway 51 all the way to the Vicknair Canal.Once officially dubbed as a substandard road, Woodland is now re-paved, re- graded and re-shaped.

Michael Patorno, engineer with URS Corp., that consults with the parish onroad projects, was very pleased with the results.

“The project was finished a month ahead of schedule,” said Patorno, ” and $45,000 under budget.”Most of the project was an overlay, but Patorno said the last three-quarters of a mile of the road had to be totally re-constructed from scratch because of the hills and dips in the road.

The project produced another piece of good news for the parish taxpayer.

Council Chairman Duaine Duffy said the Woodland Drive project was paid by cash. The parish did not incur any debt or have to issue bonds to do therepair work.

All this is part of the Priority Street Program, a resolution passed by the old St. John Parish Council. Woodland Drive was one of 40 roads chosen by thecouncil that needed immediate attention. These roads were repaired with$1.6 million that was appropriated by the council. The program is for a five-year period.

Of those 40 roads, 28 have been completed so far. The next major repairwork will be done on Madewood. With the money saved on the Woodlandproject the time line for Madewood will be moved up and work should begin very soon.

Duffy said, “We will continue with this project and do it on an annual basis.

Now we are going to look at the Reserve area.”Madewood, Chad E. Baker, E. 28th Street, E. 27th Street, E. 26th Street andE. Sixth Street are all in the design phase right now and construction shouldcontinue shortly.

Within the next five years U.S. 51, Fairway Drive, Carrollwood Drive,Louisiana Avenue, St. Andrew’s Boulevard and River Forest Subdivision are allslated for repair work under the Priority Street Program.

The repair of Woodland Drive also saves the parish in another area-insurance costs.

Parish President Nickie Monica said the parish was getting most of its insurance claims from cars that traveled Woodland Drive. The parish wasgetting sued constantly, but now that the road is repaired St. John Parishcan save money on insurance and court costs.

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