After Residents Blame I-12 Barriers for 2016 Flooding, Lawmakers Demand Solution from DOTD

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BATON ROUGE — House lawmakers introduced a bill Thursday that addresses a lingering concern from the 2016 flood.

The proposal would require DOTD to make modifications to barriers along I-12, which many believe acted as a levee and prevented water from flowing during the historic flood.

The case is the subject of an ongoing lawsuit filed on behalf of several towns in the northern part of Livingston Parish against the DOTD. A judge ruling on the case said those concrete barriers likely contributed to flooding in and around the I-12 corridor during that time.

“The Interstate Barrier has increased flooding on the north side. Especially in the Denham Springs and Walker area,” said state Rep. Buddy Mincey Jr., who is sponsoring the bill.

In 2020, Mincey began discussions with the DOTD about the barriers and asked them to seek a solution that would allow water to pass through them. The DOTD had two years to conduct studies and find a fix.

“After those two years, the study came back and they had no workable solution. So now I’m back to square one, passing a bill to try to get them to give us a solution,” he said. said Mincey.

The DOTD released the following statement to WBRZ on Thursday, but would not make anyone available for an on-camera interview.

“Due to ongoing litigation, we cannot comment on the bill. However, we can say that the unprecedented rainfall from the 1,000-year flood in 2016 caused extensive damage across the state. DOTD’s #1 priority is passenger safety.Concrete barriers are effective safety tools that eliminate crossover accidents in high-traffic areas where vehicles typically travel at 70 miles per hour. built on Louisiana highways are designed and built to national standards,” the DOTD said.

The bill imposing changes to the gates will now head to the Senate. If approved, it must be signed by the governor.

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