Drainage Projects Approved For Bayou St. John, Central City, and Gentilly

In concert with the city’s "living with water" efforts, City Council yesterday voted to move forward on drainage projects in Bayou St. John, Central City, and Gentilly.

The projects will pull from a $141 million federal grant awarded to improve green infrastructure and handling of stormwater.

The Bayou St. John project involves "upgrades to the city’s drainage infrastructure, as well as new, green infrastructure in 21 blocks of the Bayou St. John and Hagan-Lafitte neighborhood."

A $51 million project in Central City involves a bioswale and permeable paving in the the Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard corridor between South Claiborne Avenue and South Broad Street, as well as side streets like South Dorgenois, South Rocheblave, and South Tonti Streets.

In Gentilly, where the city’s biggest water project is in the works, the funds will pay for drainage projects at Pontilly Park and Mirabeau Avenue.