A tunnel built in 1966 as part of a planned riverfront expressway downtown, now used by Harrah's Casino for parking and office space, is buckling—but don't worry just yet!
Out of an "abundance of caution," the city is restricting traffic at the foot of Canal Street. The concern began when someone reported "a bulge and leaking water" on one of the walls of the tunnel located under Canal Street. It's probably fine!
The city is looking into the problem, and in the meantime traffic from Convention Center Boulevard is being detoured around the area rather than allowed onto the lakebound side of the 300 block of Canal Street. Just out of, you know, caution.
The tunnel, which stretches from Canal to Poydras Street, was built in 1966 with the intention of accommodating six lanes of high-speed interstate traffic. The city eventually killed the project because of concern about damaging the French Quarter.
Everything's fine and the foot of Canal Street isn't going to become a sinkhole! Right?
• Concern, but not alarm, over buckling wall of 1960s tunnel under Canal Street near river [The Advocate]
• Tunnel vision: In 1966, New Orleans built a tunnel downtown hoping the traffic would come [NOLA.com]