Officials break ground at Edenbourne Connector

     GONZALES – Ascension Parish and state officials broke ground on Dec. 21 on the Edenbourne Connector, a two-lane road that will connect to St. Landry Ave.

     The $5.2 million project through W. Edenbourne Parkway is intended to help alleviate traffic congestion from Lamar-Dixon Expo Center. The one mile long road will allow for two I-10 exits to be used, one at La. 44 and the other at La. 30.

     “One thing this is going to do for the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center and the commerce that we have coming in there is it's going to give us the exits,” said Ascension Parish Council Chairman Randy Clouatre. “It is also going to give us the ability to contraflow to help out the Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office and the Gonzales PD for better traffic control to contraflow a exit going south on I-10 and the other exit, possibly going north on I-10.”

     Parish President-elect Kenny Matassa said the project was a team effort between everyone involved, as the new road will run through both the Parish and the City.

     “This project, I guess you can call it ‘Team Ascension’, because of what's behind me is Parish road and what's right in front of me is the City road,” Matassa said. “It was truly a team effort with the City, the Parish and the State. This is how you get things done. Ascension I think has always been a team.”

     The connecting road is expected to begin construction in 2016.