NEW ORLEANS – Due to ongoing construction of the Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, with its partners at the city of New Orleans and the Department of Transportation and Development, will close Downman Road north of the Hayne Boulevard intersection beginning on July 19. The section will remain closed until September 2010.
This road closure (illustration can be view at www.mvn.usace.army.mil/pao/mapofdownmanroadclosure.pdf ) is necessary to ensure public safety during construction and to meet the Corps’ operational goal of providing 100-year risk reduction for the 2011 hurricane season.
Work consists of constructing a new floodwall alignment to elevation 15.5 feet, as well as two floodgates across Downman Road. When complete, the project would reduce the impacts from a storm surge event that has a one percent chance of occurring in any given year.
Alternate Routes:
Traffic attempting to access Leon C. Simon Drive from Downman Road will have to travel east along Morrison Road to Crowder Boulevard and then turn north toward Hayne Boulevard. From there heading west, traffic will then take the flyover ramp to Stars and Stripes Boulevard and then continue west to access the Lakefront Airport, the Ted Hickey (Seabrook) Bridge and Leon C. Simon Drive.
Eastbound traffic on Leon C. Simon Drive attempting to head south on Downman Road will have to take the flyover ramps from Leon C. Simon Drive to Hayne Boulevard, then take a right on Crowder Boulevard before taking another right on Morrison Road, which intersects with Downman Road.
See www.mvn.usace.army.mil/pao/mapofdownmanroadclosure.pdf for a map of these alternate routes.
Questions and / or concerns related to road closures and construction impacts can be addressed on the Corps’
Construction Impacts Hotline: 877-427-0345.
Release no. 10-048