The City of New Orleans remains focused on its infrastructure program, and I am proud of our ability to continue our economic activity in the design and construction industries throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Although this focus has been greatly challenged by the myriad issues ahead of and following Hurricane Ida, we have now resumed work on the majority of road work projects; 69 projects valued at more than $600 million. The City is simultaneously focused on implementing procedural changes that will better hold contractors accountable for completing projects more rapidly, and lessening the residential impact throughout the city. This month, we will begin publishing performance ratings for all contractors and projects on the RoadworkNOLA website to offer a higher level of transparency.
As the City continues to demonstrate the progress of our infrastructure program, we are also positioning ourselves as an ideal local governmental candidate to receive additional federal funding to go towards more construction projects.
The unprecedented scope of our infrastructure program has undoubtedly created challenges, inconveniences and even hardship for some of our residents. Thank you for your continued patience and understanding, and for being mindful of our workers as you navigate these projects.
Through it all, we continue to demonstrate that our projects and programs are progressing, and by doing so we are positioning the City to be an ideal local government candidate to receive additional federal infrastructure funds.
The RoadworkNOLA success stories highlighted in this newsletter include:
District A: The $5.6 million West End Group A project is nearing completion and is expecting to be complete in Fall 2021. The work in this project includes repairing underground drainage lines, installing ADA-compliant curb ramps at intersections, and much more.
District B: The $6.3 million Mid City Group A work is almost to completion and is set to be finished in Fall 2021. Extensive roadwork across many neighborhoods in Mid City have been ongoing.
District C: The $8.1 million West Bank Group B project, which began construction in March 2020, has resumed on Richland Road as well as Ptlomey, Odeon and Magellan streets with asphalt pavement installation. Crews are also working on concrete paving activities on Mercedes Boulevard and Halsey Streets.
District D: The Ponchartrain Park project is nearing completion on both its waterline and roadwork construction. Hundreds of linear feet are being installed underneath streets across many neighborhoods to mitigate flooding.
District E: The $7 million Plum Orchard/West Lake Forest Group B full-depth reconstruction project is recently underway.
Sincerely,
LaToya Cantrell