If you didn’t know, planning for what will one day become the Lafayette Metropolitan Expressway(LRX) “Lafayette Loop” is still ongoing.
In 2004, the Lafayette Metropolitan Expressway Commission(LMEC) was formed with the goal of designing and constructing a 30+ mile controlled-access toll road around Lafayette Parish. The loop(LRX) would connect I-49 near Carencro, I-10 near Scott/Duson, and HWY 90 near Youngsville to the rest of the Parish. The toll rate for LRX is estimated to be .13 cents per mile, which would cost willing travelers around $4 to $5 to travel the entire length.
According to the LRX documents, it is envisioned as a free flow facility with fully directional interchanges at crossings with I-10, I-49, and Johnston Street. It would initially be constructed as four lanes with room for expansion to six lanes as conditions warrant. Those same 200+ page documents outline many of the concerns that you may have as a concerned citizen; such as funding, environmental safety, where will the proposed express be constructed, and the age-old question—when will it be finished? Many are still waiting on the future I-49 corridor to happen, which has been a more prominent focus of discussion as of recent years. Keep in mind, both the I-49 Connector and the Lafayette Metropolitan Expressway projects are two very different projects.
Having a loop around Lafayette would help in certain travel situations when going through Lafayette’s more congested areas would not be ideal.
Want to learn more? Good. According to MyParishNews.com, there is a public hearing open house coming up. Below is the information.
Public Hearing Open House Schedule
Tuesday, February 28, 2019
South Regional Library
6101 Johnston Street
Lafayette, LA
5:30-7:30 pm
For links to all of the public documents, go to dotd.la.gov and look for “H.004491 Lafayette Regional Xpressway”. Or click below for document PDF links.
Below are photos illustrating the vision of the Lafayette Metropolitan Expressway. 
