Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development Secretary Shawn Wilson speaks at groundbreaking ceremonies Tuesday.

If you have to postpone an outdoor event because of a rainy day, you couldn’t ask for better make-up weather than state, parish and local officials had for the groundbreaking of the Acadiana Regional Airport road project Tuesday morning.

About 50 people, including Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development Secretary Shawn Wilson, Iberia Parish President Larry Richard, several Iberia Parish Council members, and members of the Iberia Parish Industrial Development Foundation and Greater Iberia Chamber of Commerce were on hand to mark the beginning of a project years in the making.

“They had a pretty good turnout,” said local businessman Joey Pellerin.

The new five-lane access road and two new roundabouts will begin at the intersection of the Frontage Road for U.S. Highway 90 and Jefferson Island Road and connect the intersection of Grand Prairie Road and La. Highway 3212.

“The start of construction for the new access road to Acadiana Regional Airport is the result of our focus on improved infrastructure and economic development and is also a result of the hard work of our administration, our legislative delegation, the parish council and our governor,” said Iberia Parish President Larry Richard. “We thank them, and all of the partners who worked with us on getting this important project started.”

The construction of the Acadiana Regional Airport road is expected to take 18 months and cover about eight-tenths of a mile.

In addition to making for easier commercial access to the airport, the project will provide easy access to the Progress Point Business Park area. The Progress Point Business Park was first envisioned almost a decade ago. According to the Iberia Economic Development Authority, which is the driving entity behind the project, the development will be a 50-acre mixed-use commercial park located to take advantage of the airport and access to U.S. Highway 90.

“The new road and accompanying phases will directly connect the Acadiana Regional Airport area to the future corridor of U.S. Interstate 49, creating a gateway to the airport and big opportunities for growth,” said Mike Tarantino, president and CEO of the IDF. “This project along with the future Progress Point Business Park, will greatly increase access to our certified sites and position Iberia Parish for economic development.”

The state approved $2.34 million in funding for the road and roundabout project in the 2020-2021 budget. Another phase of the roadwork, which will extend Hangar Road at the airport to Highway 3212, is also in the wings. That, along with a third project to straighten out curves in La.

Highway 88 on the other side of the airport, are all designed to make the facility more accessible to commercial freight traffic.