Mayor Hunter Calls Calcasieu River Bridge “An American Problem”
Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter took to social media yesterday to give his thoughts on how a new I-10 Calcasieu River Bridge is not only a necessity for SWLA, but also the whole country.
Mayor Hunter stated in his post that the bridge is not just a Lake Charles or SWLA problem. He said, "It's an American problem."
He argued the I-10 Calcasieu Parish bridge plays a pivotal role along the Gulf Coast in the transportation of goods and people.
Hunter said we've been talking about a new bridge for 30 years and "talk is cheap". He also added that he will not sit by during his administration and leave this issue for another generation to fix. Mayor Hunter feels the time for action is now. Hhe supports the building of a new bridge and believes that federal government intervention is the only way it will happen.
President Biden visited Lake Charles last week on his national tour to gain public support for his proposed $1.9 trillion infrastructure plan, also known as The American Jobs Plan. During his press conference, he said bridges that were in the state of disrepair like the Calcasieu River Bridge will be replaced and even pointed to the I-10 Bridge and said maybe we would be a full replacement.
Mayor Hunter received a lot of heat from local Republicans for meeting with President Biden and welcoming him to the city. However, he stated in a previous social media post that he believes aid from the federal government is the only thing that can help us.