McNeese Celebrates Opening of Richard R. Rhoden Bridge and Bayou Greenbelt

On Thursday, Dec. 1, McNeese State University students, faculty and staff along with community leaders celebrated the official completion of the first phase of the Contraband Bayou Improvement Project and opening of the Richard R. Rhoden Bridge connecting the campus buildings and residence halls to the main campus.

“What was for many years a very unsightly section of campus has been transformed into a beautiful park-like setting,” said McNeese President Dr. Daryl Burckel.

“We are focused on being a student-centric university,” Burckel said. “Being student-centric includes all aspects of the student-experience including academics, extracurricular activities, campus life, student success resources, student health and campus aesthetics.”

The new bridge over Contraband Bayou replaces an aging crosswalk and connects Burton and Collette residence halls and Student Central to the main campus.

The new bridge is named in honor of Richard Rhoden, who served as director of facilities and plant operations from 1999 to 2022. As facility director, Rhoden supervised more than $575 million in campus facility and infrastructure improvements including 17 new campus buildings, numerous major renovations and facility expansions.

“The Contraband Bayou Project is a testament to Richard’s vision and his passion for transforming McNeese into a modern, student-centric, aesthetically beautiful campus. It is an honor to name this bridge the Rhoden Bridge,” Burckel said.

A bench in the center of the bridge recognizing the significant efforts to secure legislative funding for the Contraband Bayou Project was dedicated to honor former Sen. Ronnie Johns.

“The Contraband Bayou Project is one of many initiatives underway this year designed to improve campus access, facilities, security and aesthetics,” Kevin Martin, McNeese director for facilities and plant operations, said.

A new pedestrian bridge connects the student apartments to the main campus. “Students living in the apartments no longer have to walk down Common Street to go to class, the cafeteria and the library,” Martin said.

What began as a project to control erosion control, improve walkways and lighting for safety purposes and to replace an aging crosswalk has evolved to become the centerpiece of the Bayou Greenbelt Project.

“We are pleased that McNeese was chosen as one of the catalytic projects in the Just Imagine SWLA 50-Year Resilience Master Plan and it is an honor for the Contraband Bayou Project to be the centerpiece of the Bayou Greenbelt Project,” Burckel said.

According to Helen Tyson Siewers, landscape architect with the National Park Service – Rivers, Trails & Conservation Assistance Division, “Bayou Greenbelt is a prime example of a local plan that enhances public access to special places along waterways near Lake Charles. As the project becomes a reality, the existing waterfront parks will be connected in a 23-mile blueway network for paddling and, where possible, access to trails for walking and biking. We anticipate many benefits to the community: improving the quality of life with more outdoor recreation opportunities; attracting visitors for adventure tourism; enhancing wildlife habitat; and increasing capacity for stormwater management.”  

During the ceremony, the new Bayou Greenbelt logo was introduced. McNeese art majors Stacie Driskell, Zekia Williams, Derek Carrier and Jasmine Mackson designed the logo. Tom Galmarini, McNeese assistant professor of graphic design, coordinated the class project with the Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana and the National Park Service.

“As a local business owner, I know how important it is to support McNeese by giving opportunities for real-world experience,” said Mike Nodier, co-owner of Polaris Engineering and proponent of the Bayou Greenbelt Project. “Working with the Visual Arts Department to create a logo for Bayou Greenbelt helped us brand an important quality of life project for our region while providing some practical workplace application to students.”

The $6.7 million project was state funded and Burckel said phase two, from the new bridge to Ryan Street, will begin in the spring.

“We still have serious erosion issues to address in the second phase, however, a bulkhead is already in place and this project will not require relocating and rebuilding significant infrastructure,” Burckel said.

Sara Judson, CEO for the Community Foundation Southwest Louisiana, said, “This Contraband Bayou Project is just one of many examples where McNeese State University is contributing to enhancing quality of life for Southwest Louisiana. Our community is fortunate to have McNeese as a partner in the Just Imagine SWLA 50-Year Resilience Master Plan. After a year of input from people all over Calcasieu and Cameron, we now have 11 catalytic projects with two directly relating to McNeese: the McNeese Resilience District and Bayou Greenbelt. It is exciting to see parts of the plan are already coming to fruition, like the first phase of Bayou Greenbelt.”