Railroad freight traffic could be shifted of tracks that run through one of Louisiana's most affluent neighborhoods if planners get their way.
But it could take $700 million to make the shift.
State transportation officials are studying whether to reroute freight trains from a track that bisects one of the most affluent parts of Metairie to a combination of tracks that would parallel Earhart Expressway and pass through the Hollygrove neighborhood on New Orleans' western edge.
Jefferson Parish officials, reports The Times-Picayune, support the plan. State officials say an environmental study will conclude at the end of 2014, at which time they will seek public comment.
Officials of the Norfolk Southern Railway, Canadian National Railway and CSX Transportation say they're awaiting the study before making a choice.