TRANSPORTATION: Memorializes Congress to secure federal funding to remove four closed bridges on United States Highway 90 in St. Tammany Parish
Summary
House Resolution 170 is a memorial to the United States Congress asking it to take the steps necessary to secure $10 million in federal funding for the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development in the fiscal year 2027 Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development appropriations process. The money would be used to remove four closed bridges on U.S. Highway 90 in St. Tammany Parish.
The resolution explains that the bridges, which were built nearly a century ago, were closed in May 2022 because of structural integrity problems. Their closure cut off an important commercial, commuter, and hurricane evacuation corridor connecting parts of the New Orleans metropolitan area to Mississippi and the eastern Gulf Coast. The stated purpose of the funding request is to clear the unsafe structures as a first step toward eventual reconstruction of this segment of U.S. Highway 90.
Impact
The resolution does not directly change Louisiana statutes or create a new state program; instead, it expresses the Legislature’s formal support for a federal funding request and directs that copies be sent to Congress and Louisiana’s congressional delegation. Its practical impact is to advocate for federal appropriations that would support the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development in removing the closed bridges and advancing future reconstruction of the highway corridor.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been strongly supported and noncontroversial. It passed the House by a unanimous 85-0 vote, and there is no committee transcript indicating opposition or debate. The overall sentiment reflected in the text is that the project is a needed transportation and public safety priority for the region.
Contention
No notable opposition is reflected in the available record. The resolution frames the issue as a safety, mobility, and evacuation concern, and the main policy point is the request for federal money through the appropriations process. Any potential contention would likely relate to federal funding priorities or the timing and cost of reconstruction, but none is documented in the vote or bill materials provided.
Memorializes the United States Congress to end Risk Rating 2.0 and to take certain other necessary actions to alleviate the financial burden of flood insurance
Urges and requests the Department of Transportation and Development to provide information on the number of closures and repairs to the Judge Seeber Bridge over the past seven years
Memorializes the Congress of the United States to take immediate action to approve funding to end the federal government shutdown and urges the United States Senate to adopt the continuing resolution passed by the United States House of Representatives that would ensure temporary funding and the uninterrupted operation of the federal government.