Residents fuming, semi-trucks rolling: Here’s what Central is doing about Wax Road

Jul 02, 2025

CENTRAL, La. (WAFB) - Richard and Brenda Temple live right in the construction zone on Wax Road, and for the next 4 1/2 months, they will be living in a cloud of dust. After multiple complaints from residents like the Temples, Central leaders met with DOTD to work out a new plan for the project while construction is underway.

“Look at our deck, look!” Richard Temple told WAFB. “This is where I conduct business for my metal building company. I bring customers under here; we had a Fourth of July party scheduled for the customers. I can’t bring anybody here, look at this place, look!”

Even after a visit from the water truck, the Temple’s home was still covered with dust, and the traffic has made it difficult to get out of their driveway. Last week, they had to call the city to escort them out.

“We are all up in age here,” Brenda Temple said. “And we have a stroke victim that lives on the property, and from an emergency situation that was critical for us. I’m all for it; it just needed a little bit better planning, I think.”

After a semi-truck rolled over on the road, Central Mayor Wade Evans met with DOTD leaders to work out a traffic diversion plan to be announced in the next week. He said, the problem is the excess through traffic.

“The contractor will modify the material flip method to work in shorter segments, allowing for more frequent traffic flow,” Evans said. “The shutdowns required for flipping the material into the traffic lane will be limited to 15 minutes, to complete the process in three closures. Once the sub-base work is complete, the closure will be slightly longer to flip the material back. It is hoped that the detours and updated flagging method will eliminate unnecessary tractor-trailer traffic. For clarification, if you need to access a specific location on the road, it is not considered through traffic.”

The project is expected to be completed by the end of the year, but while the Temples support the road improvements, the risk outweighs the reward.

“If you were in a plant, you would have to wear a respirator or a fresh air mask, OSHA wouldn’t allow this,” Richard Temple said. “I rest my case.”For Mayor Evans, it’s all a cost of progress.

“We apologize for their inconvenience and guarantee them that when this is all done, this will go away,” Evans said. “You have to break a few eggs to make an omelette.”

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