VIDALIA — Local officials had one question for Louisiana’s transportation secretary when he visited Vidalia Tuesday: When will four-laning of U.S. 84 be complete?

Transportation Secretary Kam Movassaghi didn’t have a ready answer. &uot;I don’t have a timetable for that,&uot; he said after the hour-long meeting with about 70 local officials and community leaders. &uot;I do know that, in every community, there’s a ‘Highway 84.’&uot;

That is contrary to earlier reports that a 27.5-mile stretch of the highway from Ferriday to just past Archie would be four-laned by 2005. A contract for replacement of the Black River bridge, one segment of that project, was let in early August for $14.25 million. Officials at Tuesday’s meeting were vocal about the need for U.S. 84 to be four-laned from Mississippi to Texas as soon as possible.

&uot;It’s vital,&uot; said school board member and local business owner Darrell &uot;Bubba&uot; Crofford.

&uot;We don’t have a railroad — and neither does Vidalia — so we’ve got to have four-lane highways,&uot; said Jonesville Mayor Billy Edwards.

Movassaghi did make it clear to those packed into the Vidalia Town Hall that such projects are the reason he is asking for the public’s support to help fund the Department of Transportation and Development at current levels in the future. &uot;Such projects are necessary for economic development,&uot;&160;he said.

A budget surplus that existed when Gov. Mike Foster first took office is gone, Movassaghi pointed out. That means that if his department keeps building at its current rate — it let $618 million worth of projects this year alone — its budget will have a $100 million deficit during the next fiscal year. And even at the current level of funding, the department has only $90 million a year available for four-laning highways — not counting the TIME Program projects. So Movassaghi is asking for the public’s support to fund the department’s work. That will probably mean increased fees, not a rise in taxes, he said.

&uot;We’ve got to ask the Legislature for additional money. … I hope to have a plan to the Legislature (for that),&uot;&160;he said, although he did not say when such a funding plan would be presented to lawmakers.

State Sen. Noble Ellington, whose district includes Concordia Parish, said the Legislature has several committees looking at ways to restructure the tax system and make government cuts.

&uot;So hopefully, we’ll find the money,&uot; Ellington said.

Movassaghi also said he wants to issue bonds for the TIME program projects so construction can begin on all such projects within the next 10 years.

&uot;We’ve been trying to put the numbers together on that,&uot; he said.

The TIME Program includes four-laning of U.S. 61/Louisiana 15, which is in the design stage, Movassaghi said.

Movassaghi is also attempting to gain public and legislative support for improving New Orleans’ containerized port and upgrading other infrastructure.

That is because the economies of Latin American countries are growing rapidly, and their nearest port with rail, river and road service is New Orleans.

&uot;From there we could ship to anywhere in the U.S. or Canada, … and the goods manufactured from those raw materials will travel back through Louisiana to be shipped back to Latin America,&uot;&160;he said.

Still, after the meeting he admitted that &uot;it would take billions of dollars to do those kinds of things, … and I don’t know where the money would come from.&uot;