(The Center Square) – In an 11th hour tax-reform provision included in House Bill 10, $280 million from vehicle sales taxes will be redirected to the general fund, delaying infrastructure projects such as the Interstate 49 expansion and a new Mississippi River bridge in Baton Rouge.
Funding delays may stall the long-awaited projects in Baton Rouge. Lawmakers recently redirected $280 million from vehicle sales tax revenue to the state’s general fund to offset revenue shortfalls stemming from income tax cuts.
“Sen. Henry, Speaker DeVillier and I have committed to the people of Louisiana that we will ensure the necessary funding to finish I-49 North, I-49 South, the Calcasieu River Bridge, and the Baton Rouge Bridge,” Gov. Jeff Landry said on X .
The governor’s office did not respond to requests for comment.
The decision suspends planned investments in the construction sub fund of the Transportation Trust Fund for two years.
The bridge project, part of the state’s highway priority program, was set to receive a significant portion of this funding under a 2021 law allocating up to 75% of sub-fund revenues for capital construction.