By MOLLY DRYMAN

Staff Reporter

LULING – The long delay for construction of the Ashton Plantation, located between I-310, River Road and Ashton Road in St. Charles Parish, is finally underway and should begin selling lots later this year.

After an agreement with the Union Pacific Railroad, St. Charles Parish and J. B. Levert Land Company and Rathborne Properties was signed on Feb. 1, construction was allowed to construct railroad tracks crossing at East Plantation Boulevard.

“We have and executed railroad crossing agreements to gain access to the development,” said Greg Leer, vice president of Rathborne Properties. “Since then we have entered into contract for the infra-structure.”

Leer said the plan is to finish construction of phase one this fall.

“We hope to be finished in September,” said Leer. “We will probably begin marketing the lots in late May and June and when the construction is complete we will begin to sell.”

The project started in 1997, but many approvals were needed in order to actually get started, this included the railroad crossing problems.

The development will include 2,000 homesites and will continue construction in phases. The first phase will have 109 homesites.