KEY TAKEAWAYS: Louisiana signed a contract allowing up to $6.8 million in state-funded payments to New Orleans engineering firm Royal. Royal’s scope includes road and bridge assessments, traffic studies, permitting, utility coordination and construction oversight. The contract contains no Sp aceX reimbursement requirement, and officials have yet to determine how overall transportation costs will be split. DOTD must approve a budget and issue written authorization before Royal can incur billable costs. The contract packet does not show whether that authorization was issued. Louisiana has signed a contract allowing up to $6.8 million in state-funded payments to a New Orleans engineering firm for transportation work supporting SpaceX’s planned development in Vermilion Parish. The contract calls for Royal to help assess, design and oversee transportation improvements associated with SpaceX’s development. Services include evaluating roads and bridges, studying traffic, obtaining permits, coordinating utilities, assisting with property acquisition and overseeing construction. Louisiana Economic Development has said DOTD is evaluating transportation routes, road and bridge conditions, traffic impacts and potential improvements to Louisiana Highway 82. State officials have not established how the overall transportation costs will be divided between taxpayers and SpaceX. The agreement contains no requirement for SpaceX to reimburse the state. It does not identify specific roads or bridges to be improved or establish a total infrastructure budget. DOTD must approve a budget and issue a written notice to proceed before Royal can incur compensable costs. The contract packet does not establish whether that authorization has been issued or how much the firm has been paid. The agreement anticipates work on multiple transportation projects, with supplemental agreements required for additional projects. DOTD previously told The Center Square that Royal’s Louisiana resources would allow rapid mobilization and coordination with SpaceX and local stakeholders. The department did not answer whether the contract was bid out. Royal previously declined to comment. Royal has contributed $115,000 to Cajun PAC II, a political action committee formally affiliated with Gov. Jeff Landry, according to campaign finance records previously reviewed by The Center Square. Separately from its PAC contributions, Royal has given at least $27,000 to Landry’s campaigns since 2014. ...read more read less