NEW ORLEANS — The City of New Orleans Department of Public Works (DPW) today announced the completion of a $5 million improvement project on Breakwater Drive located in the West End neighborhood along Lake Pontchartrain.
“Repairing damaged infrastructure, especially that which makes our city more resilient, remains a top priority of my administration,” said Mayor LaToya Cantrell. “We’re pleased to announce the completion of these improvements for residents of the West End neighborhood, as well as visitors who frequent the Lakefront and boaters who use the marina and launch here. This project includes several upgrades that will boost residents’ quality of life, in addition to putting more protections in place in regards to severe storms, making this a true win-win for the entire community.”
This FEMA-funded project consisted of re-establishing the berms or terrace bordering which helps control erosion from Lake Pontchartrain by facilitating additional riprap and rehabilitating the breakwater retaining wall. The full scope of work also includes repaving the asphalt roadway, patching the roadway with asphalt or concrete, repairing damaged sidewalks and driveway aprons, installing Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant curb ramps at the intersection and rehabilitating the parking areas and boat launch. Sidewalks were also installed along the retaining wall on both the north and west berms.
The Breakwater Drive Improvement Project was constructed by TKTMJ, Inc. and designed by All South Consulting Engineers.
“We are very excited about the infrastructure investment on the city’s lakefront through the Breakwater Drive project,” said Sarah McLaughlin Porteous, Acting Director of DPW. “The lakefront is one of our most utilized assets, and improvements to the berms, parking lot, boat launch, roadway and sidewalks are essential not only for the overall enjoyment of the area but also for safety during severe weather events.”
Under the Cantrell Administration, residents of City Council District A are seeing major infrastructure improvements as part of an unprecedented city-wide push to restore damaged streets and build sustainable and resilient mitigation systems. Since May 2018, 43 roadwork projects valued at $158 million have been completed. Currently, there are 24 projects under construction valued at $331 million and another 10 projects valued at $71 million in the bid and award phase.
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