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Sulphur councilman addresses traffic issues
The American Press ^ | March 15, 2018 | Heather Regan White

Posted on 03/17/2018 1:06:04 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks

SULPHUR — After the Sulphur City Council adjourned their meeting Monday night, councilman Stuart Moss spoke at length about what he considers to be a “public health and safety issue.”

“The traffic issues on Maplewood Drive have become outrageous,” said Moss. “Not one person can do this (fix the issue) and it’s not going to be resolved overnight.”

Moss was referring specifically to the intersection at Prater Road and Maplewood Drive. Moss lives on Eveland — off of Maplewood — and said during peak time (from 3:30 p.m. until as late as 9 p.m.), it can take an hour and 15 minutes, traveling eastbound on Maplewood, to get from Cities Service Highway to his street. From Eveland to Prater takes an additional 40 to 45 minutes.

Moss said the area had already been dealing with increased traffic due to industrial construction. With the start of work on the Interstate 10 bridge, inconvenience has turned to deadlock.

In early March, Moss rode along with Sulphur Police Chief Lewis Coats for several hours to survey the traffic situation at several intersections. Moss said he noted a car at the intersection of Eveland and Maplewood and said it had just made it to the Prater Road overpass when he and Coats passed by two hours later.

The extent of the problem was made clear when the men were alerted that a woman stuck in traffic near the Prater-Maplewood intersection was in active labor. “The woman had three kids, 6 and younger, in her car and she was crying,” he said. Moss said the woman’s doctor said she needed immediate medical attention, so Coats escorted her out of line, Moss took over the driver’s seat in her car, and Coats led them down Walcott Road, to U.S. 90, then to I-10, to a Lake Charles hospital.

“That lady was so stressed out,” Moss said. “Her husband wasn’t here, her family was stuck in Lake Charles and she’s in labor.” Moss said he didn’t recount the incident to “put a feather in my cap,” but, instead, to show the severity of the situation.

Moss said more manpower is needed to direct traffic. “If we have four officers at night, we can’t take one of them off duty to place them out there during peak times,” he said. He said he has asked the administration to assign a special detail to the intersection. “If this council has to approve overtime, or whatever it takes, we are going to make sure we have traffic control.”

He also suggested that local industry could help by paying for a Louisiana state trooper to work the intersection. He noted that they already fund one on Pete Manena Road.

Moss also sent out a request to all businesses in the area to take steps to alleviate traffic. He recommends staggering work times and carpooling.

Moss said suggestions to block streets or erect barriers aren’t feasible. He has consulted with attorneys, who said residents could designate their neighborhood as a “gated community,” but they would then be responsible for transporting all trash receptacles out to city streets, and maintain their own streets, culverts, utilities, etc.

Moss said he had sent email requests to representatives from Sasol and Axiall/Lotte, as well as to the state’s Department of Transportation and Development, to attend the Monday council meeting.

In the emails, Moss said, “people are trapped in their homes,” and neighborhood streets are “overrun with 18-wheeler traffic.” Moss noted that some of the 18-wheelers cutting through neighborhoods are carrying hazardous materials.

“It’s not just the traffic, the delays, the two hours to get to Lake Charles,” he said. “What’s it going to cost to fix our streets?”

Moss said Sasol responded and said they are staggering shifts and providing incentives for employees to carpool. They also told Moss they are looking at special signalization and employing traffic officers to assist in traffic management.

Moss said he will facilitate meetings with the representatives he has contacted. “I’m not wanting to pick a fight with DOTD,” he said. “But this has happened because of the bridge and this will continue until we get some negotiation with them.”


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; US: Louisiana
KEYWORDS: gridlock; infrastructure; lakecharles; louisana; sulphur; traffic; transportation
If you look at Sulphur, Louisiana on Google Maps, you'll see that the distance they're discussing on Maplewood, a distance of maybe five to ten blocks, is taking about 2 hours to navigate during rush hour.
1 posted on 03/17/2018 1:06:04 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Police giving 10-15 tickets a day on Maplewood Dr. (3/15)
2 posted on 03/17/2018 1:13:07 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks (The US Constitution ....... Invented by geniuses and God .... Administered by morons ......)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Oh, Louisiana, thanks. I was wondering where this was.


3 posted on 03/17/2018 2:12:55 PM PDT by SaxxonWoods (DACA is going to be a riot!)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Is that the Westlake bridge being redone?


4 posted on 03/17/2018 2:19:12 PM PDT by rstrahan
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To: rstrahan

Is that the name of the nearby I-10 bridge over Lake Charles. I looked at it on Google Street View, and it looks quite functionally obsolete. It undoubtedly needs to be replaced, and given its ornate railings, could have preceded the 1956 Federal Highway act, for all I know.


5 posted on 03/18/2018 11:25:48 AM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks (The US Constitution ....... Invented by geniuses and God .... Administered by morons ......)
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