Construction has begun for an $8 million improvement project, giving a busy stretch of Scenic Highway a facelift after years of planning.
In development since 2020, the MovEBR project, which broke ground in May this year, looks to resurface roads and improve pedestrian safety along the corridor.
The project focuses on the strip of highway between Swan Avenue and Harding Boulevard, a busy thoroughfare for those visiting Southern University or going through Scotlandville. The plans aim to improve the road, focusing on infrastructure upgrades like a new road overlay and additional green-space medians with low landscaping.
Overall pedestrian safety will also be a main focus on the multimillion-dollar project with new sidewalks, crosswalks and safety arms for the railroad track cutting across the corridor.
“We're going to make sure we line up the street with safety precautions,” said Council member Anthony Kenney, who represents the Scotlandville community.
While construction is starting after a six-year process, Kenney says this project is 10-15 years coming within the community. A conversation that preceded his taking office.
“Even though a lot of the foundation started prior to me, my goal when I got into office is to make sure this project got to the finish line,” Kenney said. “Make sure it was done in a very thorough way because a lot of people have been waiting for this project to happen for a very, very long time.”
Getting the project off the ground likely took longer because the highway is a state road instead of city-parish property, leading to more negotiations on goals and funding, Kenney said.
“We have to work in lockstep with DOTD, the state, and other partners and so it's not as easy as if it were a city-parish road,” Kenney said. “We could just get started on it like the next day, but you know city highways like Scenic Highways, we have to make sure we work in lockstep with the state DOTD, and also making sure we align in funding and funding priorities.”
The improvement project will likely be similar to the recent improvement work done on Plank Road because it will be done through the same contractors, Kenney said. In preparation for the city’s new Rapid Transit system, MoveEBR’s work on the area earlier this year brought smoother roads and new sidewalks, making bus accessibility on the corridor easier.
Kenney believes the project will be the next step in the revitalization of Scotlandville and north Baton Rouge as this comes next in a string of developments coming to the community.
“We just want to make sure this is really something to give people hope for new infrastructure coming to the area,” Kenney said. “Really making sure we are beautifying all of the Scotlandville area, because Scenic Highway, the thoroughfare, is probably the main highway for Scotlandville in front of the Southern University area.”
The improvement project is expected to take about a year to complete, finishing in the third or fourth quarter of 2027.