As the city of New Iberia begins work on repairing a block of road on Lewis Street, repairs to the portion of the road outside city lines remains unclear. 

As the city of New Iberia works on desperately-needed repairs to a portion of road near the intersection of Lewis Street and Admiral Doyle Drive, more road renovations needed in the area are likely further off.

The Iberia Parish Government has been working in conjunction with the Acadiana Planning Commission to widen Lewis Street near Admiral Doyle to essentially become a four-lane street.

Parish President Larry Richard said that project is largely being handled by the APC and Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, and he estimated it will be about a year before the bidding process starts.

“I would say we’re about a year off before the bidding starts,” Richard said. “There are rights of ways from many different streets that need to be sorted out.

The project is currently in the stage of gaining the rights of way needed to make the necessary renovations to the intersection. Admiral Doyle and Lewis is considered by many to be one of the highest-traffic areas in Iberia Parish, and the widening project is being considered to ease the flow of traffic in the area.

The New Iberia City Council approved a project at Tuesday’s meeting to repair one of the worst areas of Lewis Street between the Rouses Supermarket and the new Chick-fil-A developments.

The project is slated to cost an estimated $65,000, with money being used from the general fund as well as from pools of money allocated last year for repairs in Mayor Pro Tem Ricky Gonsoulin’s and Councilman David Broussard’s districts.

Repairs for the portion of the road outside city limits still seems unclear, however. Richard said the Iberia Parish Council would have to approve money for a project dedicated to repairing that portion of road.

“The parish council would have to find the money and approve it,” Richard said. “I can’t do anything until it’s approved and there’s money.”

Members of the parish council attempted to gain approval for repairs to the road last year with TIF District funding. However, the council failed to pass the measure through committee hearings after some on the council members thought the project would be a liability without engineering studies done first.

Councilman Warren Gachassin, who spearheaded the proposal for that project last year, said he applauded the city’s recent decision to repair that road.

“I applaud the city’s vision in fixing that road,” Gachassin said. “I wish I could tell you where we were with the rights of way (for the widening project).”