[StBernard] Roadway, drainage and sewage work on Jean Lafitte Parkway in Chalmette mean street's integrity will be comparable to Paris Road

[Westley Annis]

$3.2 million in federally funded roadway and drainage improvements on Jean
Lafitte Parkway in Chalmette 

mean street's integrity will be comparable to Paris Road

Work included an additional $2.4 million in federally funded sewer
improvements 

 

The complete overhaul of Jean Lafitte Parkway in Chalmette is nearing
completion- bringing the street up to top engineering standards and making
its strength comparable to Paris Road, St. Bernard Parish President Craig P.
Taffaro, Jr. said. It is the first roadway project in St. Bernard to repair
hurricane-damaged roads under the Federal Highway Administration/ Louisiana
Department of Transportation and Development South Louisiana Submerged Roads
Program.

The road repair program is 100-percent funded through the Emergency Relief
Program of the Federal Highway Administration and was established to restore
roadways damaged by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in Orleans, Jefferson and
St. Bernard parishes. 

But the work on Jean Lafitte included more than the federally funded road
repairs. To improve efficiency and lessen the disruption to drivers, the
state Transportation Department coordinated with parish officials, the New
Orleans Regional Planning Commission and the Federal Highway Administration
to include a portion of major drainage and sewer work simultaneously with
repairs to Jean Lafitte that were partially funded by the parish government.
Work included an additional $2.4 million in federally funded sewer
improvements 

"This project is a fine example of the successful partnerships forged
between the local, state and federal governments because officials worked
cooperatively to incorporate separate road repair, sewage and drainage
projects into one project to minimize the effects on the adjacent areas,"
St. Bernard Parish President Craig P. Taffaro, Jr. said. "These are critical
improvements because good roads are key to St. Bernard's growth."

Boh Bros. Construction Co. is the contractor for the $3.2 million Jean
Lafitte road project. The project includes repairing and resurfacing a
1.7-mile segment of Jean Lafitte Parkway from St. Bernard Highway to the
Florida Walk Canal.  The project includes full depth base repairs, pavement
patching and curb repairs to areas damaged by the disasters.  The Jean
Lafitte corridor will also receive an asphaltic concrete overlay. The
strength of the final constructed roadway will be as durable as local state
highways.  The patching of the roadway underneath the asphaltic overlay
provides strength greater than normal local roadways. This type of roadway
allows for easy, routine maintenance.

In addition, the project will repair 0.64 miles of Patricia Street from Jean
Lafitte Parkway to Cougar Drive. Construction is anticipated to be complete
later this fall.

###