Tag: Entergy

Chartres and Conti intersection closes Friday for 24-hour construction project

(Corner of Chartres and Conti streets. Photo: Infrogmation | CC Wikimedia)
The intersection of Conti and Chartres streets will be closed intermittently to vehicular traffic for one day starting Friday morning so that crews can dig a trench to inspect utility lines in anticipation of a two-block road construction project, a New Orleans spokeswoman said on Thursday.

Closure begins at 8 a.m. and is expected to last until Saturday, May 23, as workers from Hard Rock Construction — a Public Works contractor — construct a trench in order to verify the location, depth and size of electric and gas lines under the roadway, spokeswoman LaTonya Norton said.

Construction is expected to last until Saturday, at which point the intersection will reopen to traffic.

“Public safety is our priority,” Norton said. “Commuters are asked to be mindful to workers and to travel at reduced speeds in this area.”

Norton said drivers, pedestrians and residents should expect intermittent road and sidewalk closures, constriction equipment, limited parking availability, cones and fencing, elevated noise levels, dust and continuous vibration monitoring.

Additionally, there will be temporary asphalt pavement over the completed trench.

The brief closure is part of a city project to design a full reconstruction of Conti Street between Bourbon and Chartres streets.

Entergy will upgrade its gas and electric utilities in advance of the city’s massive project in order to avoid construction conflicts and potential delays, Norton said.

Entergy’s work is anticipated to begin in the 700 block of Conti Street in June and the entire project is expected to take approximately 10 months, Norton added.

The project is part of an “unprecedented” and mostly FEMA-funded $2.3 billion program by New Orleans Public Works and Sewerage and Water Board to improve damaged infrastructure.

New Orleans SWB concludes investigation into Dec. 16 electrical fault explosion on Dauphine Street; points at Entergy to find root cause

The New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board on Feb. 19 concluded its end of the investigation into the cause of a sudden explosion on Dauphine Street last December, launching several manhole covers into the air and igniting a nearby car.

The explosion occurred at approximately 5 a.m. on Dec. 16 in the 500 block of Dauphine Street, near the intersection of Toulouse and Dauphine, according to the New Orleans Fire Department.

A video taken by an eyewitness was published by WWL-TV on Dec. 16 and shows the front end of a car on fire.

Causes of the explosion include a sewer methane explosion to a faulty Entergy electrical line, according to city officials.

In coordination with Entergy, the SWB launched a process-of-elimination investigation into the explosion’s cause days later, said Executive Director Ghassan Korban.

During the investigation, the SWB learned that the sewer main lines were intact and contained no detectable amount of combustible gas, Korban said.

There was high water in the Entergy Vault, which was above the SWB’s sewage level, which prevented liquid waste collected by the SWB from flowing into the vault, Korban added.

Additionally, Korban said, the sewer line on St. Louis Street was cleaned and inspected, which found no breaks or intrusions.

“It is logical for the agency that owns the vault where the explosion occurred to be responsible for determining the root cause of the explosion,” Korban said. “In the interest of public safety, we stand ready to assist our partners as they continue to search for the cause.”

Sewage system cited as possible cause for Dec. 16 explosion on Dauphine

Officials cited methane gas as a cause for the Dec. 16 explosion near Dauphine and Toulouse streets, local media reported.

The explosion, which reportedly occurred at approximately 5 a.m. on Dec. 16, caused an audible “boom” and blew three manhole covers. A video posted to social media shows a car on fire after the explosion.

Terry Ebbert, New Orleans Director of Public Safety and Security, reportedly told WWLTV that fumes from waste somehow ignited and erupted with flames near Toulouse and Dauphine.

WWLTV reported that the State Fire Marshal’s office indicated a faulty Entergy electrical line may have caused the explosion.

Entergy, the New Orleans Fire and Police departments and EMS vehicles reportedly arrived on scene and closed the block to the public.

No injuries were reported.