Mayor LaToya Cantrell, left, and other officials celebrate the completion of the streets project. The work included the addition of a bike lane. (courtesy of the City of New Orleans)
The South Galvez Street Infrastructure Project officially ended on Thursday when city officials gathered for a ceremony.
The project, which cost $5.4 million to complete, runs from Toledano Street to Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard. It was designed in accordance with New Orleans’ Complete Streets policy.
“The residents in this area needed to see that they are valued, they’re respected, and we’re wanting to make the investment in where they live, and that means we are investing in the people in our city,” Mayor LaToya Cantrell stated in a press release.
The project was hailed for its potential to bring improvements to an often-overlooked part of the historic Central City neighborhood.
It’s an area that is primed for development and investment, including the potential for housing opportunities. There are four future projects worth approximately $30 million that are a part of the $2 billion Joint Infrastructure Program in Central City, and which will include full reconstruction work, as well as patch, mill and overlay work.
“You’re going to see a lot less flooding in this area, and that is a really meaningful thing to see in our infrastructure,” said Deputy CAO for Infrastructure Ramsey Green.
Funding was provided by a Community Development Block Grant, FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, and the Sewerage & Water Board. The work was designed by Meyer Engineers, LDT, and built by Command Construction Industries LLC.
The scope of the work featured a full reconstruction of the roadway, including replacing the existing sewer, water and drainage lines; widening the neutral ground; narrowing the roadway from 35 feet to 26 feet; and reconfiguring the roadway from two travel lanes and one parking lane to one travel lane, one dedicated bicycle lane and one parking lane.
