Trial run set for 3-lane Main St.

St. Martinville’s North Main Street will soon be converted from 4-lanes to three – at least temporarily.
In a compromise hammered out during a closed door meeting early last week between Mayor Thomas Nelson and other city officials with DOTD District Engineer Administrator Bill Oliver and members of his staff, it was agreed to re-stripe that 2-mile portion of Main Street between the old railroad tracks and Levert Road into one lane in each direction with a center turn lane.
This will allow residents and officials to evaluate the switch before the change is made permanent.
The striping will also reportedly provide for narrow bicycle lanes along each edge of the street.
DOTD’s plans to change the that stretch of Main Street from four lanes to two lanes with a continuous turn lane caused a furor in late August when a $750,000 contract was awarded for the work even though city officials and area legislators were never informed of the project. Negative response from the city and angry calls from the public persuaded DOTD officials to reevaluate the plans.
DOTD engineers say the change over was planned due to a high rate of accidents on the 4-lane stretch of roadway. They say conversion to three lanes has reduced accidents in other communities.
A resurfacing of the pavement is also planned, but will wait until the lane trial is concluded. At this point, DOTD officials said, nothing is at stake but the cost of the paint for the re-striping.