UPDATED: Study: I-49 South means hundreds of jobs, hundreds of millions in income

LAFAYETTE — A new study released Friday says upgrading U.S. 90 into Interstate 49 South from Lafayette to New Orleans will create more than 1,900 jobs along the corridor and generate $900 million in income statewide by 2044, beyond the impact of the actual construction work.
The Community Foundation of Acadiana rolled out the study at a press conference at its Lafayette headquarters. Foundation President Raymond Hebert said the study’s purpose was to gather reliable, unbiased data about the impact of the project, which has been in the works for three decades.
The study was also underwritten by several economic development groups in the region, including the multiparish Acadiana One, which has aggressively pursued the controversial I-49 Connector portion that runs through Lafayette.
A connector executive committee made up of state and local officials voted last week to move ahead with plans for an elevated highway through Lafayette along something like the current Evangeline Thruway corridor. That idea, introduced in 1994, has been opposed by people concerned about the potential for blight beneath elevated highways and on the impact such a highway would have on surrounding neighborhoods.
The study was also criticized in reporting by theind.com, which called the study “heavy-handed” and noted that study presenter Eric McClellan of CMS Smith, the consultants who performed the study, wore an I-49 South pin in his lapel during his presentation.
Regional economic development directors spoke at the press conference, including St. Mary Parish’s Frank Fink.
“We have to do this together,” Fink said after the meeting. “We can’t do one or leave out portions of the other or wait another 10 years. It has to be done together.”
Regional Economic Models Inc. also participated in the study. The findings on economic impact are based on an analysis of travel efficiencies created by I-49 South and the way those savings would move through existing economic relationships modeled by Regional Economic Models Inc. The savings would presumably generate investment and other economic activity.
Among the findings:
—The capital expenditures for the entire project, including right of way acquisition, planning and engineering, and construction, are expected to total nearly $2.8 billion for the whole project, including about $911 million for the connector.
—The benefits in travel efficiency, a key factor in determining the economic benefits, in Louisiana are expected to total $772 million for the whole project by 2044, including $181 million attributable to the connector.
—The number of jobs generated by 2044 is expected to reach 1,931 in surrounding parishes outside Lafayette and another 807 in Lafayette itself. The number of jobs peaks at more than 6,400 during construction in 2023, drops to about 440 the next year and begins to rise slowly through 2044.
—The statewide income generated by the project will reach $901 million by 2044.
Chris Brown of Regional Economic Models acknowledged at the press conference that the estimates did not tackle other economic influences, such as the price of oil. That leaves open the possibility that the benefits will be greater than the study estimates.
“Interstates bring opportunity,” said Lafayette Economic Development Authority CEO Gregg Gothreaux. “It’s just that simple. Everybody knows that.”
Fink said the interstate upgrade of U.S. 90 could also open land in the Berwick-to-Patterson area by creating access via new ramps and outer roads.
“The study wasn’t specific to St. Mary,” Fink said, “but you’ve got to believe that since I-49 is going through the heart of our parish, and it will open up 5,000 developable acres for us to develop for residential, commercial and industrial uses, it’s going to be a larger impact than could be evidenced by the study itself.”
The interstate will also help with the evacuation of east St. Mary if a dangerous hurricane approaches, Fink said.