Bill > HB616

This bill authorizes the Port of New Orleans to develop a new transportation corridor roadway connecting the Louisiana International Terminal in St. Bernard Parish to the interstate highway system in Orleans Parish, with several key provisions. The bill grants the Port's board of commissioners broad powers to design, construct, maintain, and operate the roadway, including the ability to enter into public-private partnerships (P3s) for funding and development. The roadway will be a controlled-access highway that can serve as a hurricane evacuation route and primary traffic corridor for the terminal, with the board having exclusive authority to determine its route, design, and access points. The board can impose tolls to fund the project, acquire necessary property through purchase or expropriation, and collaborate with state and local government entities. The legislation also allows the board to work with utility companies to relocate infrastructure, enter into agreements with various government agencies, and potentially transfer the roadway to the Department of Transportation and Development in the future. Notably, the bill emphasizes that the project is critical to Louisiana's economic growth and the competitiveness of the Port of New Orleans, providing a legal framework for developing this important transportation infrastructure.