Rep. Jones: Patterson J-turns are coming 2 years away

The stretch of U.S. 90 in Patterson that has been the scene of so many accidents, some fatal, may be less than two years away from having long-awaited safety improvements, state Rep. Sam Jones, D-Franklin, said.
Department of Transportation and Development Secretary Sherri LeBas and Jones met with Mayor Rodney Grogan and a pair of city councilmen Monday to discuss progress on U.S. 90 safety improvements.
Jones said the group had a productive meeting discussing what the state intends to do to cut down on accidents and injuries occurring as motorists attempt to get on and off the highway in Patterson.
A commitment from LeBas was procured to move up the $4.5 million construction project for Patterson safety improvements, Jones said. The improvements are part of an interim phase of upgrading the highway to interstate standards from Wax Lake to Berwick.
Grogan said, “Having the secretary with department of transportation there was really helpful. She looked at Bill and said move it up 18 months.” Grogan was referring to Bill Oliver, the highway department district manager who was also in the meeting.
Deidre Druilhet, highway department spokeswoman, said there is no need for the interim projects to submit to an environmental impact study and the project can now proceed to the planning and design phase.
Jones said, “We are trying to get this designed as quickly as possible, perhaps in the next six to eight months. In a year to a year-and-a-half we could see construction begin.”
Councilman John Rentrop said, “I came out of that meeting more enthused about getting our issues addressed than ever before. In that 15 minute meeting, madame Secretary LeBas showed more interest and helpfulness than I have seen in any of the other meetings with other people since I have been aware of this issue.”
Steve Bierhorst, Patterson public works director, said he was encouraged with the information he got from the meeting and where Patterson stands in getting its safety concerns addressed.
“They are trying to reroute traffic and make the traffic flow safer,” through J-turns and other strategies, Bierhorst said. “The secretary is trying to push the work up a year earlier.”
Bierhorst said Oliver told the group that additions of J-turns in the Lafayette area cut down on accidents by 30 percent.
Grogan recently requested the highway department conduct a study to determine the feasibility and practicality of installing one or more traffic signals on the highway. At the time, he realized that the request might go nowhere, but Grogan wanted to raise the safety issue up and get it addressed.
Jones said that the time it would take to get a traffic study done for red lights would be about the same amount of time it takes to finish the design of the interim highway improvements.
“I think we will have the best interim solution as possible that will address the needs of the community and the safety of motorists,” Jones said.
Rentrop said he told LeBas that Patterson has been patiently waiting its turn for highway improvements but the job can’t be done too soon.
“We have been waiting a long time now,” Rentrop said. “Now we want to be No. 1.”
Rentrop said that Oliver told them while the J-turns decreased accidents, the department noticed that speed violations also increased.
Councilman Charles Sawyer also attended the meeting.