NEW ORLEANS – Bourbon street revelers will be in for some new stumbling blocks when city officials start what is being called “the most extensive Bourbon Street infrastructure overhaul in years.”
According to NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune’s Wilborn P. Nobles III, work will begin Monday, April 24, on the 100 block of Bourbon Street.
Last night city officials told local French Quarter residents and business owners, at the St. Jude Community Center, the project will include replacing existing pavement in addition to some of water, sewer and drainage lines, Nobles III reports.
Entergy will also replace low-pressure gas lines and underground electrical conduits, Nobles III reports.
Contractor Hard Rock Construction will place chain-link fences around construction sites so pedestrians will still have access to the famed street’s sidewalks, Nobles III reports. Expect to see temporary ramps as well.
The construction crews will work on Bourbon Street six days a week from 8:00 a.m. until sunset, Nobles III reports.
The plan includes a leapfrog schedule where work is to be completed on the 100 block of Bourbon Street before jumping to the 300 block of Bourbon Street. When those are done, the city will complete the 200 and 400 blocks. The 500 and 700 blocks are next, followed by the 600 and 800 blocks, where the project ends.
Nobles III reports each block closure will last 75 days and the initial cost of the project is estimated at $4 million.