NEW IBERIA, La. (KLFY)- Improved public safety is on its away to Iberia Parish, and it’s been nearly 20 years in the making, one official said.

“Finally, we’re going to be seeing these arms and lights being put up and save lives in the middle of New Iberia,” New Iberia City Councilman David Broussard said.

Broussard said he’s been working with the Department of Transportation and Development for 17 years, urging them to put up crossing arms and lights at railroad crossings in New Iberia.

“We’ve got 130 school buses a day that go through New Iberia. Three or four times a day they go across those railroad tracks. Now they’ll be safer,” Broussard said.

The DOTD recently allocated $3 million to fund the project, but the city had no idea when construction would begin.

After several reports from KLFY, Broussard said the DOTD finally started moving forward with the project.

The DOTD is now asking the parish to donate the land the railroad crossings are on so they can set up control boxes for the lights and arms.

“That’s what’s so exciting. We’re hearing the DOTD call the parish and say, ‘Let’s donate some land so we can put the boxes up,'” Broussard told News 10.

Broussard said parish officials will vote to donate the land to the DOTD this Wednesday.