NEW ORLEANS — Mayor Helena Moreno’s “Lights On” Initiative continues to gain ground across the City of New Orleans as the I-10 High Rise bridge is noticeably brighter with lights beaming as you drive towards New Orleans East. This repair means lane closures are on the way. Drivers should expect to see lane closures on I-10 in 3-4 weeks. For years, commuters traveled this stretch in near darkness due to broken lighting. As New Orleans Department of Public Works continues to repair lights under its jurisdiction in the area, commuters can already see the difference between the Lights On initiative.
“Turning lights on across the city improves public safety,” Mayor Moreno said. “The High Rise bridge, like lights in New Orleans East, is the first of many steps to address the lack of lighting across the city.”
As Mayor Moreno’s administration continues to deliver improvements to the city’s lighting infrastructure, lane closures are on the way so that crews can repair and install lights along the I-10 High Rise bridge and other areas along I-10.
“There has never really been a cohesive lighting plan for the City of New Orleans,” said Andy Loy, City of New Orleans Street Light Projects Manager. “The bulk of the work over the last few decades has been focused on patchwork, streetscapes, and giving crumbs of lighting infrastructure to districts to try and appease people, but a comprehensive lighting plan has never really been done citywide.”
Contractors investigated lights around the I-10 High Rise Bridge in early February and found significant damage to the lines feeding the lights across the bridge. There’s a temporary fix in place to restore lights on the High Rise bridge, but maintenance will require closures for continued lighting and a permanent fix. The City of New Orleans Street Lights team also notes that they can only address lights within their jurisdiction, as the Louisiana Department of Transportation maintains the I-10 Westbank Expressway from the Superdome at Clairborne across the river.
The City of New Orleans is currently interviewing electricians to build an in-house team dedicated to lighting work across the city. Building in-house expertise is a priority for Mayor Moreno’s administration, which is actively working to identify and hire electricians to complete more work internally. Increasing this internal capacity will allow the City to deliver repairs more quickly and cost-effectively, while still relying on contractors for larger or specialized projects.
To report a broken or malfunctioning streetlight, please call NOLA311 at (504) 658-2299 or visit the NOLA311 website at nola311.org.