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Drivers Urged to Avoid Downtown, Plan for Delays if Coming to Work

by Gary S. Scheets

October 13, 2019

Categories: Announcement, Community, On the Beat

Topics: Districts, Traffic Alert

Drivers Urged to Avoid Downtown, Plan for Delays if Coming to Work

Monday will begin the start of the business week with major road closures in the downtown area as well as adjustments to public transportation service. We want people to heed all traffic precautions that we have put out as we continue to stabilize this area.

If it is not necessary to come downtown, residents and urged to avoid the area. If employees have the ability to work remotely, employers are urged to make arrangements to allow them to do so.

Carpooling and sharing rides will also reduce the number of vehicles coming into the area. If you live near co-workers or classmates, ride together to reduce the number of vehicles coming into the area.

It there is no way to avoid coming to the area for work, it is vital that drivers exercise extreme caution and patience as the number of road closures is expected to cause significant delays and slowdowns.

NOPD officers will be out facilitating traffic flow at locations that usually experience higher traffic volume. Drivers are asked to heed officers and follow their directions in order to reduce delays as our city begins to work through the disruption caused by the construction collapse of the Hard Rock Hotel that occurred on Saturday.

“We will have officers at strategic locations to keep traffic moving,” NOPD Superintendent Shaun Ferguson said. “We will assess and update that plan as necessary.”

The road closures will cause longer commute times. Residents need to account for those delays and area businesses and schools to should prepare for the possibility that students and employees will be arriving late to class and work.

The boundaries for street closures are as follows:

  • Canal Street is closed at Dauphine, Burgundy Rampart, Elk, S. Liberty (River bound)
  • Rampart is closed at Bienville, Iberville, Common, Conti
  • Elk is closed at Tulane, Cleveland (Inbound) 
  • Basin is closed at St. Louis, Conti (Inbound), Iberville
  • Burgundy is closed at Iberville

For additional information and updates please visit ready.nola.gov.