Construction that will add new lakefront walking and bicycle paths in New Orleans’ Jefferson Parish is about to get underway. The project, which also calls for improvements to an existing path, is expected to be completed by the end of spring.
Construction that will add new lakefront walking and bicycle paths in New Orleans’ Jefferson Parish is about to get underway in Louisiana. The project, which also calls for improvements to an existing path, is expected to be completed by the end of spring.
Director of Jefferson Parish Public Works, Mark Drewes, explained, “Prior to Hurricane Katrina, the Lake Pontchartrain Lakefront provided the residents of Jefferson Parish and adjacent communities a 10.6 mi. (16 km) stretch of unfettered recreational area. The lakefront was easily accessible and could be traversed along a continuous bicycle/pedestrian path. Although Hurricane Katrina only inflicted minor damage to the lakefront path, subsequent construction of vital flood protection improvements basically closed significant portions of the lakefront for the past five years.
Construction should begin in early to mid-March. Design was performed in-house by the Jefferson Parish Engineering Department with the assistance of the Regional Planning Commission and the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. According to Josh Gunn, general manager of general contractor Three C’s Properties Inc., location is the main hurdle.
According to Gunn, creating a new walking and bike trail next to the existing path at the base of the levee will require plowing out the existing dirt at a depth of 11-in. (28 cm).
Three C’s Properties will use a variety of equipment, including a Cat dozer; a Cat excavator to load the dirt; and asphalt trucks, rollers to compact the stone, pavers and dump trucks. Gunn explained that safety will be a top priority.
“The weight of our equipment is very important. It can’t be real heavy because we won’t be able to get over the levee and provide the support needed. A lot of the area where we will be working is in portions where new levees just finished construction after Katrina. Our construction will be at the foot, but we don’t want to cause any damage. We want to leave everything as it was before we stepped in. That’s something we will go to great lengths to ensure,” Gunn stated.
As for other concerns, said Gunn, “The temperature won’t be a problem, but rain could definitely be an issue. We will be digging down and have a trench filled with rock and will be dealing with asphalt. I imagine every now and then we’ll have to cut some holes in the side of the trench so that the water can get out and the area will stay dry. As for the existing trail, there are some pieces that are broken up which are considered part of this project. Maybe a thousand feet of revamping is involved where it’s cracked and broken, so we will have to repair that as well, although we don’t see it as a significant issue.
The construction cost is $907,977 which will be funded with 80 percent Federal Highway Administration HP demo funds and a 20 percent parish local match. Construction administration, resident inspection and testing, which are currently estimated at $75,000 will be funded 100 percent by Jefferson Parish.
According to Drewes, there was a delay in reconstruction, based on concerns involving the Army Corps of Engineers.
Drewes explained, “Due to the uncertainty of the footprint of the Corps’ finished construction projects, the Parish’s plans to provide improvements to the Lakefront path and adjacent areas had to be placed on hold for approximately five years. Finally, in the spring of 2011, the Corps’ construction of the 100-Year protection system was at a stage which would allow for the proper planning of improvements to the Lake Pontchartrain Lakefront area in Jefferson Parish.
The final construction section is located at the site of the Kenner Boat Launch, another area that provides ample parking, and spans approximately 2,000 ft. (609 m) between the Duncan Canal and Williams Boulevard. This section of path which was not affected by Corps construction will be removed and replaced with a wider section, 16 ft. (4.8 m) to accommodate both bikes and pedestrians.
The project, however, has not been without controversy.
Construction on the new paths is expected to be completed approximately two and a half months after work begins.