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The leading edge of Tropical Storm Barry’s wind and rain is reaching Louisiana, where communities including New Orleans are bracing for a downpour that threatens to inundate already-high waterways. Gulf of Mexico operators have shut-in 1.01 million barrels a day of oil production.

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards recently signed legislation that would direct $700 million to transportation projects across the state.

Cameron LNG is poised to load its first export shipment of liquefied natural gas after the arrival of the first LNG tanker at its Louisiana facility.

Louisiana’s trucking industry is pushing for a state moratorium on new highway billboards, in part because truckers are angry about trial attorney road signs that demean truckers over injury claims.

Despite high-profile projects in Baton Rouge and elsewhere, Louisiana’s $14 billion backlog of road and bridge needs will rise next year because the state lacks the needed resources, state Transportation Secretary Shawn Wilson said Nov. 15.

Louisiana officials recently celebrated the completion of a project linking two interstate highways in the northern part of the state. The Interstate 49 North project in Shreveport creates an interchange with I-220.

Seven months after their push for a hike in the state gas tax died, road and bridge advocates are scrambling to see what, if any, other options are available for traffic relief.

Louisiana officials agree that the state’s roads need fixing. Beyond that, though, they can’t seem to agree on what to do about it. But they did make some progress earlier this month toward a solution when the state’s voters approved a constitutional amendment to safeguard any money raised by new gas taxes.

While Louisiana road and bridge needs poured in to a key legislative committee Oct. 12, prospects for any sweeping changes are bleak.