DOTD says historic church will not be affected by I-10 expansion
BATON ROUGE – After several meetings and hearing concerns from church officials, the Department of Transportation clarified in a town meeting Tuesday evening that they will not build a ramp next to St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church.
The church is located right under I-10. They will still move forward with the plan of adding lanes to the interstate, but plan to explore other locations.
When it was announced that the area next to the church was an option for expanding the interstate, it drew concerns from parishioners.
The St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church is the first African American Catholic Church in Baton Rouge and holds over 100 years of history. Parishioners voiced their concerns with DOTD representatives about how they want to preserve its history.