City of Monroe - Raise Grant Application
Project Summary
The City of Monroe in working partnership with the business community and education partners is applying for $15,200,000 in FY 2021 Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant funds, as part of an estimated total cost of $39,821,346.56 for the construction of the LaDOTD H.007289 Kansas Lane Extension Regional Multi-Modal Connector: Equitable Connections for Growth (Kansas Lane Extension). Using a thirty year analysis period to anticipate a return of benefits, this project is forecasted to yield over $1.83 in net public benefit per every dollar invested. The Kansas Lane Extension Project is a critical component of a broader community vision to enhance equitable and broad based economic and community development through improved connectivity and accessibility to transportation assets for all. The project has significant regional and local impact as the final leg of a multi-modal loop connecting the Monroe Regional Airport with the regional university and new medical school, the air industrial park, the mid-town business center, and the corporate headquarters of Louisiana’s only Fortune 500 company, Lumen Technologies. Total project cost for the entire loop is estimated at $ 108 million with 18.5% completed and in service, 80.5% funded, 14% remaining to be funded by this 2021 RAISE Grant.
The innovative design of the Kansas Lane Extension Project protects hundreds of acres of designated wetlands with significant control of access and accommodates wildlife with the incorporation of animal passages. The project addresses climate change by utilizing low impact LED lighting and reserving right of way for the future addition of sidewalks. By reducing travel time and emissions, the project addresses climate change.
The project benefits areas of persistent poverty and addresses racial equity with improved safety,improved reliability of travel times, increased connectivity and reduced traffic congestionthrough traditionally African American residential neighborhoods. The multi-year constructionproject will result in good paying jobs and significant opportunities for DBE/MBE/WBE through the City of Monroe Minority Access Program (MAP).1
Over the last two decades significant investments in transportation, technology and economic development infrastructure have been made by the City of Monroe, University of Louisiana Monroe, the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine and the State of Louisiana and other partners in the multi-modal loop guided by the City’s comprehensive plan, the University’s strategic plan, the Monroe Regional Airport Strategic Plan, and the State and Regional Transportation Strategic Plan. The fruits of those investments are being realized with the recruitment and retention of the Lumen national headquarters, the development and opening of the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine and the most recent attraction of a Biomedical Research and Innovation Park announced in March 2021.
The U.S.DOT’s most recent commitment of $20 million to the addition of a third lane to Interstate 20 further confirms the merit of continued investments in transportation infrastructure for this region. We ask the DOT to partner with us to fund the Kansas Lane Connector as the last remaining link of the multi-modal loop to complete an efficient, sustainable transportation infrastructure for our city and region that promotes safety, health, quality of life, and technology based economic development.
Videos
Documents
Full Project Narrative (pdf)
Appendix A - Maps:
Kansas Lane Extension (Whole Loop Map)
Kansas Lane Extension (Current Project)
Kansas Lane Extension (Forsythe)
Areas of Persistent Provery Map
Areas of Persistent Porverty Map (Louberta, Elm, Central)
Kansas Lane Extension Controlled Access Map
Appendix B - Letters of Support
Full Letters of Support (pdf)
Appendix C - Budget and Funding Commitment
Capital Outlay HB No 2 excerpt of Kansas Lane Extension (page 76)
Appendix D - Permits and Planning
Appendix E - Project Schedule
Monroe RAISE Kansas Lane Extension Project Schedule Figure
Appendix F - BCA