ZACHARY, LA -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New Orleans District will temporarily close the eastern portion of Carney Road at LA Hwy 964 in Zachary, LA, as part of ongoing construction of the Comite River Diversion Channel Bayou Baton Rouge Rock Chute.
The road closure will begin on November 7, 2025.
Upon completion, a newly constructed route and bridge over the Bayou Baton Rouge bypass canal and rock chute at Carney Road and LA Hwy 964 will be opened to the public. Construction on this portion of the Comite River Diversion Project is expected to take a minimum of three years to complete. During this period, access to Carney Road at LA Highway 964 will be impacted. A more defined timeline for the reopening will be shared with the community as additional information becomes available.
Residents along Barnett and Carney roads will be detoured north to LA Hwy 64 via Barnett Road and should plan to use alternate routes to reach destinations south of the closure. In the event of an emergency, residents will be permitted to use a USACE temporary construction access road, as determined by East Baton Rouge Parish. This temporary emergency route will connect Barnett Road to Hwy 61.
The Comite River Diversion is an urban flood risk management project that connects the Comite River to the Mississippi River via a 12-mile diversion channel. Once completed, the diversion will reduce the risk of rain and river flooding by diverting water to reduce Comite River levels before its confluence with the Amite River.
Construction of the Comite River Diversion is funded by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 and is undertaken in partnership with the State of Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. In addition to the 12-mile channel, the project will consist of control structures at the Comite River and Lily Bayou, five vehicular bridges, two railroad bridges and rock chutes at the confluence of the diversion and White Bayou, Cypress Bayou and Bayou Baton Rouge. During peak operation, the channel will divert up to 30,000 cubic feet per second.
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Release no. 25-032