News

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St. Martinville – When the downtown square was designed, big 18-wheelers like this were never anticipated. (Karl Jeter)

SM bypass plan is ‘premature’

The latest plans for a bypass to route truck traffic around the downtown square lacks sufficient detail to be considered, St. Martin Parish President Chester Cedars contends.
Such proposals have been made for many years, and a convincing case for a bypass can certainly be made. Besides the difficulty and traffic obstruction resulting from 18-wheelers being forced to negotiate the sharp corners of the historic area, recurring damage has been caused to protected historical downtown structures.

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Work set to start on LA 347 roundabout

Baton Rouge – The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) announced that beginning Monday, Aug. 6, construction will begin on a $2.5 million project to install a roundabout at the intersection of LA 347/Grand Point Hwy and Doyle Melancon in Breaux Bridge.
The work is estimated to take place Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., weather permitting.

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PARISH PRESIDENT Chester Cedars and the parish council have taken bold new steps to solve the related issues of nuisance properties and litter. (Karl Jeter)

New laws geared to make parish cleaner

–Two ordinances passed by St. Martin Parish government in recent months could make the parish a much cleaner place. Both address the overlapping problems of blighted properties and litter.
In a meeting with the Teche News, Parish President Chester Cedars outlined these council actions and the changes residents can expect.
The ordinance pertaining to nuisance and blighted properties involves the appointment of a “hearing officer.” When one is chosen, he or she will take most of the responsibility for enforcement of codes relating to such properties.

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ONE LANE CLOSED – For almost two years a stretch of LA 352/Henderson Levee Road just south of the Bayou Amy bridge has been restricted to one lane. Butte La Rose residents, commercial/recreational fishermen and tourists wait patiently at the signal light installed in July 2017 to access three boat landings and one dance hall along the levee and homes/camps in Butte La Rose. Elected officials and governmental agencies are trying to decide who is responsible for repairing several dirt slides along this section of state owned highway.(Sally Angelle)

Who will fix levee road?

Portions of the state-maintained LA 352/Henderson Levee Road have been restricted to one-lane traffic for the past two years and it is difficult to determine if and when it will return to normal.
The one-lane configuration went into effect following a series of dirt slides along the levee just below the asphalt roadway. In July 2017 the state Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) declared an emergency lane closure and installed traffic signals that limit traffic in alternating directions.

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PLANNING ACCESSIBILITY– The volunteer South Main Park Planning Committee has worked for more than two years to ensure that Breaux Bridge’s South Main Park will be welcoming to special needs residents as well as the able-bodied. Committee members met at the Breaux Bridge library on Monday, June 18 to present an update. Present were (front row, from left) Barbara Gary, Heath Patin, Mauricia Ledet Walters and Reese Walters; and (back row) Randy Patin, Rachel Patin, Colt Patin, Andrea Matthews, Brenda Hobbs, Cindy Roberthon Guidry and Connie Guidry. (Karl Jeter)

Group pushing for special needs park

From its conception, the city’s planned Southside Park has been intended to provide recreational and social opportunities to special needs and limited mobility residents. For more than two years, a group of residents with a particular interest in that large, but neglected local population, has been involved in the park’s design.

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Teche Today

P.O. Box 69
St. Martinville, LA 70582
Phone: 337-394-6232
Fax: 337-394-7511