Town officials say they've locked down $7.5 million in state funding for a new road designed to help residents who get trapped when trains block crossings for hours. The project would take five years to complete.

During the September 9th Addis Town Council meeting, engineers presented plans for extending Peter Messina Road along the south side of railroad tracks to connect with the Sugar Mill Pond area. The roughly 6,200-foot road would give residents an alternative route when freight trains occupy the crossings.

Why This Matters

The Addis rail yard creates frequent and lengthy crossing blockages that severely impact the entire western side of town. When trains are staging, switching, or occupying the tracks, residents and emergency vehicles face significant delays accessing areas across the railroad.

Mayor David Toups explained the safety problem: "It's all about the safety of those people that live in between those two railroad tracks that get blocked lots of times, two hours at a time, can't go anywhere."

The rail yard operations, visible on the map south of the project area, mean these aren't just occasional through-trains but regular, extended blockages from switching and staging operations. Emergency response times can be critically delayed when the primary crossings are blocked, forcing fire trucks and ambulances to take much longer routes around the rail yard.

The Money

The town says it has secured two types of state funding:

• $700,000 in Priority 2 funds for surveys, engineering studies, wetland reports, and property acquisition
• $6.8 million in Priority 5 funds for actual construction

Addis would need to contribute about $2.2 million as a local match. Town officials believe they can use land already donated in Sugar Mill Pond to cover part of that match, reducing the actual cash needed.

The 2025 Louisiana Capital Outlay Act (HB2) passed in May with unanimous support in both chambers—38-0 in the Senate and 97-0 in the House.

The Challenges

Five-year timeline: The project can't happen quickly. It needs surveys, environmental permits, property purchases, and engineering work before construction even starts.

Wetland permits: If wetlands are found along the route, federal permits could add one to three years to the timeline. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in New Orleans handles these permits.

Drainage crossings: The new road must cross approximately three coulees (drainage channels). West Baton Rouge Parish owns and maintains these waterways, so the town needs parish approval for the crossing structures.

Property acquisition: About four private landowners plus the town own property along the proposed route. Some may need to sell or donate land for the project to move forward.

Railroad coordination: Parts of the route involve railroad property, requiring agreements with railroad companies.

The Route

The extension would continue Peter Messina Road along the south side of railroad tracks to connect with the Sugar Mill Pond area. The roughly 6,200-foot extension would run parallel to the tracks, providing an alternative route that bypasses railroad crossings entirely.

The map shows why this matters: residents in areas along Sugar Hollow Lane, Parker Lane, and Boulevard Acadien can be completely cut off when trains block crossings. The extension would give them access without crossing the railroad tracks.

What Happens Next

Priority 2 funding needs to be "activated" through Louisiana's State Bond Commission, which town officials say should happen within two months. State senators and representatives from the area have committed to helping push this through.

Once that money is available, preliminary work begins—surveys to map the exact route, studies to determine wetland impacts, and negotiations with property owners.

The Priority 5 construction money comes later, likely several years down the road.

Important note: While town officials discussed this project in the official September 9th council meeting and provided specific funding amounts, WBR Independent's research found no Peter Messina Road extension project listed in Louisiana Department of Transportation databases, West Baton Rouge Parish records, or Capital Region Planning Commission documents. This raises questions about where the project stands in the state approval process.

Project Timeline:

• Next 2 months: Secure state bond commission approval
• Year 1-2: Surveys, environmental studies, property negotiations
• Year 2-3: Property acquisition, wetland permits
• Year 3-5: Final engineering, construction

Meeting Details: The Addis Town Council's next meeting is rescheduled to Monday, November 10th due to Veterans Day. Regular meetings typically occur the second Monday of each month at 6:00 PM at Addis Town Hall, 7818 Highway 1 South.