LIVINGSTON PARISH, La. (WAFB) – Ten years after the historic August 2016 flood trapped thousands of motorists on I-12, construction crews are preparing to cut drainage gaps into the concrete barriers along the interstate that contributed to the flooding.
The work is partially funded by a $21 million settlement reached after years of litigation for the faulty design. Nearly $6.4 million from that settlement will be used to retrofit the median barriers approximately 13 miles along I-12, beginning with a short section in East Baton Rouge Parish near the Livingston Parish line and continuing through Livingston Parish. Construction is expected to begin at the end of September and wrap up by early 2028.
Thousands trapped for hours
The August 2016 flood left an estimated 10,000 to 12,000 motorists and families stranded on I-12 in Livingston Parish for hours. All alternate routes in the area were also flooded, leaving no way in or out of the parish.
Former Congressman Garret Graves said the solid concrete medians along the interstate made the flooding worse by acting as a barrier with no openings to allow water to pass through…