WASHINGTON, DC — The effort to raise Highway 1 from Leeville to Golden Meadow could get some help from the Trump Administration.

House Republican Whip Steve Scalise and Governor John Bel Edwards, along with other Louisiana officials, will meet with members of the U. S. Department of Transportation today, January 4, in Washington.

Scalise says he’s hoping the state can take advantage of a recent announcement from the DOT that $900 million in grant money will be made available for infrastructure projects in the country.

In Louisiana, a top priority is the raising of La1, the highway that connects Port Fourchon and Grand Isle to the rest of the state.

According to the La 1 Coalition, Port Fouchon is home to some of America’s busiest energy ports which service 16% of the country’s crude oil and 4% of its natural gas. Also, La1 supports 20% of the nation’s seafood production.

But during hurricane season, even a small storm can cover La1 with water. So the state wants to raise the highway from the gulf to Hwy 90 in Mathews

The project is divided into four phases. The first phase, raising the highway from Leeville to Port Fourchon, Construction began in 2007. Two years later, the work was done and the state began collecting a toll to help cover the phase one cost of more than $328 million.

Now the state wants to complete the second phase of the project from Leeville to Golden Meadow. Some of that work is already underway, but the state is looking for an additional $343 million.

Louisiana State Senate President Page Cortez, House Speaker Clay Schexnayder, DOTD Secretary Shawn Wilson, La1 Coalition Director Henri Boulet and Port Fourchon Executive Director Chett Chaisson will join Scalise today for the meeting with DOT officials.

The third and fourth phases of the project are estimated to cost about $1 billion and will include widening as well as raising sections of La1.