Looks to me, he's telling the "Kommittee" it's time to $#!t or get off the pot. There are no tunnels in their options. He and his backers do not want to repeat the financial disaster that befell Boston in its "Big Dig."
Us 90 South/ Future I-49 was uprated to interstate standards minus missing traffic control ramps, before 2000 from Raceland, La. to Billeaud, La. Eventually I-49 will connect New Orleans to Kansas City. Lafayette has held up making a decision at least 15 years, as traffic passes through the downtown. Ten miles of mainly existing divided roadway upgraded to connect to the I-49 & I-10 interchange on the north side, to reroute local city traffic.