Judge Reluctantly Approves I-49 Expansion Route

The Advertiser reports the US District Court Judge Tucker Melancon has issued a ruling finding that the Federal Highway Administration complied with applicable law when siting the 1-49 expansion through Lafayette. “The issue before the Court ... is not whether the undersigned judge would have placed the proposed Interstate 49 as it will traverse Lafayette where it was placed; he would not have,” Melancon wrote.

Karla Raettig, staff attorney for the Tulane Environmental Law Clinic, which represents the citizens coalition, said Melancon’s conclusion is not ordinary.

“It’s not normal for an opinion to have a conclusion like that where, basically, the judge says I think this is a bad idea, but it’s not illegal,” Raettig said. “To me, that’s a pretty significant message for the judge to have put in the opinion.”

The decision will be appealed by the Concerned Citizens Coalition.

Posted by AJR at August 11, 2004 08:45 AM