BATON ROUGE — On Wednesday, state and city-parish transportation crews broke ground on the first part of major improvements to Nicholson Drive near LSU's campus.

The Nicholson Drive Segment 1 Project, which extends from Brightside Drive to Gourrier Avenue, will include widening Nicholson from two to four lanes, establishing a median and U-turns with bulb-outs, and adding shared-use paths for pedestrians and on-road bicycle lanes on both sides of the roadway.

Mayor-President Sid Edwards, as well as officials from LSU, MOVEBR, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development and the Metro Council, were in attendance to break ground at the Bullpen parking lot on LSU's campus.

"Out of all the Move projects, this might be the one," Mayor-President Sid Edwards said.

DOTD spokesperson Joshua Stutes outlined the infrastructure improvements that will come with this project.

"As traffic volumes have continued to grow, so has the need for improvements that enhance both capacity and safety," DOTD spokesperson Joshua Stutes said. "The project incorporates updated drainage infrastructure, utility coordination and other improvements that help ensure this corridor serves the community for decades to come."

LSU President Wade Rousse explained how the project would improve travel for LSU students and employees.

"The improvements on Nicholson Drive will make travel more efficient, improve safety and create a better experience for everyone who uses this corridor," Rousse said. "Our students will spend less time sitting in traffic and more time in classrooms."

Rousse also said LSU Game Day traffic will improve with the completion of this project.

"When Tiger Stadium fills on Saturday night, the benefit of those improvements will be felt by hundreds of thousands of fans who come together to celebrate one of Louisiana's greatest traditions," he said. "When transportation works better, opportunities expand.”

WATCH THE GROUNDBREAKING HERE: