The joint Transportation, Highways and Public Works Committee approved the Department of Transportation and Development's (DOTD) 2025'–26 Highway Priority Program (HPP) on April 14, 2025, by voice vote after staff described changes to the priority list, a new project-tracking system and efforts to improve transparency.

DOTD Secretary Joe Donahue told the committee that the department "had done some extra efforts to kind of sort through these projects and make sure that the information is accurate," and turned the presentation over to Mary Elliott of DOTD's Transportation Planning section, who explained the report format changes and project-status updates.

The changes matter because the HPP allocates state and federal capital funds and sets expectations for hundreds of transportation projects across Louisiana. "There are 323 in stage 4 scheduled for letting in state fiscal year 2025, 2026," Elliott said, and she told members the full report lists about 1,500 projects across all stages. Elliott also summarized project-level adjustments: 138 projects were let to construction and removed from the report; several projects shifted between stages; 18 projects were added to stage 4, of which 14 should have been listed as stage 4 and four were misclassified (three feasibility studies and one to be funded from the operating budget).

Committee members repeatedly pressed DOTD for more detail about how projects move between stages, how the public submits projects and how the department documents reasons for schedule changes. Representative Tarver asked whether the presentation to the public in October matched the book before them; Elliott said the current book is the October program "subject to these changes," and Secretary Donahue said DOTD has implemented "a new project tracking and updating system" and will post a linked dashboard on the department website so lawmakers and the public can follow individual projects.

Lawmakers also raised concerns about accuracy in the printed report. Senator Connick pointed to project H012079, "Belle Chase Tunnel Repairs," and said the tunnel is being decommissioned. Elliott acknowledged the concern and said DOTD staff would review the project entry and "either remove it or explain to you why it's justified and being retained in the program." Connick and other members pressed project managers'responsibilities and how information is gathered for the public report.

Members asked about DOTD's coordination with the Louisiana Department of Economic Development (LED) and with private companies connected to large developments. Donahue described coordination on major initiatives outside the regular HPP, citing infrastructure work tied to the Super Bowl preparations, a steel plant in Ascension Parish and other announced projects. He said some large economic-development projects include specific appropriations for infrastructure and that DOTD participates "early and frequently" in negotiations with LED on such deals.

Several lawmakers asked about funding composition and performance. Elliott and Donahue said the bulk of program funding is federal-state partnership money; DOTD provided a high-level split of roughly 80/20 federal to state for many projects and said interstate preservation work can be funded at 90/10. The tentative capital total listed in the report was discussed as a mix of federal, state and other sources (settlement money and ARPA were mentioned as examples). The committee asked DOTD to provide a clearer breakdown of federal versus state funding for the $1.13 billion total shown on the tentative budget page.

Members also pressed DOTD on delivery performance and accountability for design errors. Vice Chairman Fontenot asked how many projects approved last year were let; DOTD said it would provide that statistic. Donahue said the agency is tracking projects that come in over budget and acknowledged that the department historically had not been proactive in pursuing claims against outside designers for mistakes, but added that such accountability is important.

Local concerns surfaced several times. Senator Wheat asked about plans for Interstate 12 congestion and interchange work; DOTD said some widening projects are in the program but that capacity funding is limited and certain interchange work identified in October is still early in the development process. Representative Dickerson raised two roundabout projects in her district that constituents believed were shovel-ready; DOTD staff said those projects either lacked final funding or had elements removed from scope and that the department would review specifics with the chief engineer.

After roughly an hour of presentation and questioning, Representative Tarver moved to approve the HPP priority list for state fiscal year 2025'–26. "Representative Tarver has moved to approve the 2025, 2026 priority list for the statewide highway priority program," the chair announced; there were no objections, and the motion was approved by voice.

The committee did not record a roll-call vote in the transcript. Committee members asked DOTD to follow up with clarifications on specific projects, to publish the roadshow comments and to provide clearer project- and funding-level tracking on the new dashboard. The hearing adjourned with the committee scheduled to begin a separate hearing on the Amite River Basin annual plan.

Ending: The HPP approval authorizes DOTD to proceed under the program as updated in the department's presentation; committee members requested additional follow-up materials (detailed funding splits, the count of projects let from the prior year's list, and a review of specific questioned entries such as the Belle Chase Tunnel repair line).