Construction of Bourbon Street is slated to resume on August 12 starting at St. Ann Street.
According to an announcement by New Orleans, daily intermittent road closures will occur at St. Ann at the 800 block of Dauphine and Bourbon streets starting at 8 a.m. until sunset to accommodate pre-construction activities for the Bourbon Phase 2 project.
It’s the latest round of the Bourbon Street renovation project, which began in the 100 block in April 2017. It’s the first major reconstruction of Bourbon Street in at least 90 years.
The block will be open to pedestrian traffic only, however the intersections of Dauphine and Bourbon at St. Ann will be open to vehicular traffic–meaning that you’ll still be able to cross Dauphine and Bourbon streets on St. Ann at night.
The 800 block itself, however, will be fenced off and cluttered with construction equipment. Bars such as The Bourbon Pub and Oz New Orleans will be affected.
Additionally, the intersection of Dumaine and Bourbon and approximately forty feet into the 900 block of Bourbon are also closed to vehicular traffic as crews work to fully reconstruct the road. The intersection and 900 block will reopen next weekend if weather allows, according to the city.
The work being done includes Entergy crews conducting utility upgrades on Monday. Hard Rock Construction, the company hired to do the job, will also begin exploratory trenching activity that’s expected to take about three days.
Work on the new sewer, water, and drainage system for this block is anticipated to begin in October, according to the city.
Construction will halt and equipment will be cleared, including fencing, from the site and trenches will get filled in once Southern Decadence festival begins on August 28, but work will resume on September 3.
According to a report by WWL-TV in August 2017, the project was originally contracted for a cost of under $3.9 million, but is expected to cost millions more. The city’s new estimated cost has reached $9.5 million.
The city is roughly 70 percent finished with the project. New “upsized” drainage, a better sewer system, new sidewalks, upgraded lighting and security, and a smoother pavement have been installed along various sections of Bourbon Street, according to the city.