South Claiborne Avenue construction vexes New Orleans residents and commuters
NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — If your daily commute takes you down South Claiborne Avenue near Jackson Avenue, then you know what a mess it is.
It’s a major construction project that has been going on since January to replace underground pipes, but it also comes with what Sewerage and Water Board officials call a necessary problem to protect the water supply.
“It’s a FEMA-funded project, $11 million, replacing 48 and 42-inch transmission mains from our Carrollton water plant serving water to French Quarter, CBD and the provided redundancy for much of the city,” said Sewerage and Water Board General Superintendent Steve Nelson.
Hundreds of passengers delayed at MSY amid global IT outage
The problem is this important project has also become a burden for residents who live nearby.
“You can’t cross over here. You’ve got no sidewalk. You go down the street, you’ve got no sidewalk. It doesn’t make no sense. Nobody should have to live like this,” said a New Orleans resident.
In addition to the extensive water works, traffic lights at both Louisiana Avenue and Toledano Street are flashing and have been temporarily replaced by stop signs, making it tough for even emergency vehicles to get through.
“We’ve got All-Star Electric working on Toledano right now. They had an issue with the electrical system there that should be fixed relatively soon,” said Nelson.
Widespread disruptions were not the result of security incident or cyberattack: CrowdStrike
The lights at Louisiana Avenue are under the control of the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. Officials say there is also an electrical system being worked on out there as well but it is of little consolation to the businesses along the corridor.
“It’s hindering business. It makes people don’t want to come because they don’t want to fight the traffic, and that’s real terrible,” said Chicken and Watermelon Co-Owner Skip Jones.
According to DOTD officials, the new lights at Louisiana Avenue are currently receiving inconsistent power from Entergy, a problem that is being resolved.
The Sewerage and Water Board project is expected to be finished around Halloween.
Stay up to date with the latest news, weather and sports by downloading the WGNO app on the Apple or Google Play stores and by subscribing to the WGNO newsletter.
Latest Posts
Original member of Dirty Dozen Brass Band Lionel Paul Batiste Jr. dies
Biden to address nation for first time since ending candidacy
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGNO.
