Phase 2 of Bourbon Street’s reconstruction starts today

Bourbon Street’s signature stench, crumbling sidewalks, and fetid puddles may become a thing of the past as the city moves into Phase 2 of a $9.5 million reconstruction process. The project will install new water and sewer lines, catch basins, and gas lines, as well as new sidewalks, moveable bollards, and ADA-compliant curb ramps.

Hard Rock Construction LLC began Phase 2 today, which tackles Bourbon Street’s 500 block. Phase 1 revamped the 100-400 blocks concurrently, but Phase 2 will reconstruct one block at a time. City officials hope the process will be less disruptive to French Quarter residents, workers, and businesses that way.

“Before moving ahead with Phase 2, our administration made it a priority to do extensive outreach to businesses and residents in the Quarter—and to listen to their concerns,” said Mayor LaToya Cantrell in a press release. “We ... made changes to the whole approach. We bid the project out in such a way as to create financial penalties if the work is not completed on schedule.”

The project has already taken longer and cost twice as much as city officials expected. Originally intended to be completed by the end of 2017, the project should be completed by June 2019, officials say.