VERMILION PARISH, La. — Drivers traveling down La 82 West between Esther and Forked Island, are experiencing anything but a smooth ride.
Eldridge Touchet is a resident who frequently travels down the road.
"Our roads need to be repaired big time," Touchet said.
He says he has lived in the area his entire life and has driven down the road, a road filled with potholes, and uneven pavement.
"Somebody is going to wreck because sometimes we go down the road and we hit a pothole out there, and it swerves you to the ditch or the middle lane," Touchet said.
He is not exaggerating. We took a stroll down the highway and the poorly structured road stretched over a mile, making it difficult to travel on.
"Sometimes they get plenty of potholes and they bust your tires; when the big trucks like this pass here, my house rattles," said Touchet.
Touchet says the road has cost him. His truck was damaged after traveling down the inadequate road.
"I had a part of the truck fall off. Luckily I noticed it and picked it up and brought it back to the shop and they just screwed it back on but that's how bad the road is," Touchet said.
We reached out to DOTD and they are aware of the problem. The state agency says a project to fix the road is in the works but they are waiting for funds to be available. Once funds are made available, the project is expected to begin between 2025 and 2026.
"It needs to be re-done fast, you know before someone gets hurt someone will get hurt on this road," Touchet said.
