Progress on a major flood protection project, highway construction and the announcement of a college merger were among the biggest successes for the Tri-City area during 2017, local legislators said. State Sen. Bret Allain, R-Franklin, pushed during the year to make sure state coastal leaders committed to funding the roughly $80 million permanent floodgate on Bayou Chene. Allain expects that up to $50 million in funding for the project may become available as early as the end of 2019 or start of 2020. Rep. Beryl Amedee, R-Houma, said she’s following Allain’s lead on the Bayou Chene project “because he’s doing ...