By Bonnie Culverhouse

For somewhere around eight years, drivers exiting I-20 at exit 47 (Sibley/Minden) have done so in the dark.

“Every year, the project’s still pending, so the council has to reapprove it,” said Minden Mayor Nick Cox of the lights at the exit ramp.

Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development projects mid-2026 to install new lights.

“Our obligation is for the light poles,” Cox said. “Then there’s some backend work that the City has to do. A lot of progress has been made very recently.”

Cox said there are now plans in place, not just for the lights but the entire project, “because we have the power company that goes through there – the transmission lines – we have to move some of our poles.”

According to Cox, the longer the City has waited, the less expensive the project has become.

“The price of materials seems to be going down a little bit,” he said. “Originally, we were looking at matching up to half a million dollars. The last projection I got was $280,000.”

In the past, Cox has pointed out that if Minden is to grow, travelers need to see what is there when they exit the interstate at night.

Earlier this month, council members unanimously reapproved the project for 2026.