State to widen Hwy. 3276 in DeSoto Parish | Business

Money from Louisiana's Capital Outlay fund and the federal government will widen a heavily traveled road in DeSoto Parish.

The $10.2 million will go toward improving LA 3276 between US Hwy. 171 and I-49. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and other state officials were on hand to bring the news to the parish.

The plan calls for a half-mile section near US Hwy. 171 to be widened to include a center turn lane. The rest of the road will be widened to 12 feet from the current 10 feet, and will include eight-foot shoulders. Work should begin later this year or early next year.

“Because of the many businesses, employees and trucks that poured into the region, this area has felt some growing pains," said Jindal. "Folks living out here found themselves having to navigate around more-and-more tractor trailers, while truckers had to move huge loads on small roads. My number one priority as Governor is to create jobs – which means providing our businesses and industries with the infrastructure they need to grow and succeed. This $10.2 million investment in Hwy. 3276 will make this region safer for surrounding communities while providing businesses better roads for moving goods.”

“Work on this segment of roadway will benefit local residents and businesses alike by improving access to I-49 North through the town of Stonewall,” said Stonewall Mayor Charles Waldon.

“The reconstruction of this important segment of roadway will improve the safety and efficiency of traveling through the region,” said Rodney Arbuckle, Sheriff of DeSoto Parish. “Motorists will see this stretch of La. 3276 become an integral part of transportation in the region.”

The governor also highlighted $72.1 million in transportation investments for DeSoto Parish, which includes a $42.4 million TIMED project that four-laned a segment of the existing U.S. 171 and created a new roadway to the west of Mansfield, which will serve as a Mansfield bypass; a $3.3 million project that resurfaced 8.5 miles of La. 172 between the Texas state line and La. 5; and a $2.5 million project that resurfaced a 7.3-mile stretch of La. 177 from La. 175 to La. 346.