Congressman Troy Carter Announces $7.62 Million to Shore Up Southern University from Facility-Threatening Erosion

BATON ROUGE, L.A. – Today, Congressman Troy A Carter Sr., alongside Governor Jon Bel Edwards, Southern University Chairman Edwin Shorty, and Southern University President-Chancellor Ray Belton, announced $7.62 million in funding for the Southern University Ravine Protection project in East Baton Rouge Parish.

This federal grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service will be awarded to the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) for the $35 million Bayou Baton Rouge erosion improvement project to preserve Southern University’s ravine. The storm runoff and river fluctuations are eroding the bank of the bluff adjacent to the university, endangering the school’s facilities, utilities, the historic oaks, as well as the safety of students, staff, and community members who visit the area. The estimated value of infrastructure that would be damaged by unmitigated erosion is $43 million.

“This is more than funding for a drainage project, this is a move that will protect and shore up this historic HBCU for the next generation,” said Congressman Carter. “This $7.62 million investment from the USDA’s Emergency Watershed Protection Program that I secured will do more than put a band-aid on this problem, it will be a long-term solution to protect Southern University — and this beautiful community space — from tumbling down the bluff. This is yet another example of this Congress and the federal government showing up to invest like never before in infrastructure solutions for the people of Louisiana.”

“Investing in our state’s infrastructure is a top priority and funding plays a critical role in its preservation and expansion,” said Gov. Edwards. “This administration has committed ourselves to not only securing additional funding on the state level, but also on the federal level to provide quality infrastructure projects throughout the state. I would like to express my gratitude to our congressional officials and want to thank Congressman Carter for his continued support to improve Louisiana’s infrastructure and to DOTD who applied, and was awarded this grant.”

Congressman Carter has been at the center of this effort at the federal level, as he provided guidance to DOTD for this funding opportunity to support Southern University and the Bayou Baton Rouge watershed. Partnering with DOTD, Congressman Carter led the effort in Washington to ensure that the plan advanced by DOTD was approved by the USDA.

This project will construct permanent erosion control measures to stabilize the ravine, which is the outfall to an approximate 852-acre watershed of Bayou Baton Rouge along the Mississippi River. This project will consist of addressing the retaining wall at the ROTC complex, tying in the emergency work at the Health Services Center, installing a weir system to control river flow, improve erosion mitigation through channel alignment modifications and covering the entire ravine from F Street to the new weir system with block matting. 

In a continued effort to combat the erosion issues along this ravine, DOTD has spent $9 million in 2019 to construct permanent erosion control and improve drainage at the F and H Street crossings. In 2021, through an emergency declaration by Governor John Bel Edwards, DOTD expended $3 million for an emergency repair project, which is currently under construction.

Preconstruction began in September 2021, and full construction is expected to begin in fall 2024 and last for approximately two years.

These funds are coming to DOTD alongside the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which will bring over $7 billion back to Louisiana. Over $2.3 billion has already been allocated to the state since the legislation was signed into law in November, 2021.

Photos or video from the press conference will be available here for download following the event.

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