The Louisiana Legislature passed out of committee a resolution directed to the State Department of Transportation and Development to slow down traffic along LA. 3235 in Lafourche Parish from 65 to 55 mph.
The highway is a major thoroughfare for the offshore industry making its way to the oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico through Port Fourchon. The sponsor of the resolution stated that everyday traffic has the added challenge of competing against more than 30,000 18-wheelers making their way to Port Fourchon. The Legislator stated, “Our biggest problem, pound for pound, is an 18-wheeler coming to a yellow light and deciding whether to slam on the brakes or go for it.”
Compounding the problem is the development along the highway including numerous subdivisions. Louisiana State Police have handled 287 crashes, including 10 fatalities, in the LA 3235 area over the past three years. These statistics dictate that the Department of Transportation should immediately act to reduce the speed for all vehicles, including the 18-wheelers and hotshot drivers servicing the oil industry.
Richard J. Arsenault, 2011
