News

November 1, 2019 | From City of New Orleans

TRAFFIC ADVISORY: Temporary Lane Shifts on St. Charles Avenue to Accommodate Upgrades to Streetcar

NEW ORLEANS – On Monday, Nov. 4, 2019, the City of New Orleans Department of Public Works (DPW) and the Regional Transit Authority (RTA) will begin a project to improve transit station access for people with disabilities. To safely accommodate construction, there will be a temporary lane shift in both directions before the intersection of St. Charles and Jackson Avenue.

Public safety is the city’s priority; commuters are asked to allow for additional travel time and to be mindful of workers in this area.

Two lanes of traffic will remain open; however, the lane closest to the neutral ground will be closed approximately 200 feet before the intersection. Additionally, there will be no parking in the adjacent parking lane for the same distance. The lane shifts will be in effect for approximately two weeks.

Subsequent work will also require lane closures at the Napoleon Avenue and Louisiana Avenue stops as well as the Carondelet Street and Canal Street stations. A total of six area transit stations will be upgraded:

  • St. Charles Avenue and Napoleon Avenue
  • St. Charles Avenue and Louisiana Avenue
  • St. Charles Avenue and Jackson Avenue
  • Carrollton Avenue and Claiborne Avenue
  • St. Charles Avenue and Carrollton Avenue
  • Carondelet Street and Canal Street

Enhancements will include additional concrete around the transit stop, a ramp and turnaround area for wheelchair access and detectable warning surfaces that alert visually impaired individuals of an approach to street crossings and hazardous drop-offs.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) improvements were designed by the RTA and will be constructed by a DPW maintenance contractor. The RTA selected stations at major intersections and at the beginning/end of the St. Charles Avenue streetcar line.

Weather permitting, the six station project will take two months to complete. The contractor will be working Monday-Sunday, from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Questions and/or concerns about the project may be directed Roadwork NOLA at 504.658.ROAD (7623) or roadwork@nola.gov.

About the Department of Public Works

The Department of Public Works is composed of five divisions responsible for maintaining approximately 1,547 miles of streets (21 million square yards of pavement) and 149 bridges in the City of New Orleans. This system includes 72,000 catch basins and approximately 8.2 million linear feet of drainage lines. The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development is responsible for maintaining an additional 105 miles of state and federal highways within the City limits.

About the Regional Transit Authority

The Regional Transit Authority provides safe, reliable, efficient transit services to residents and visitors of the greater New Orleans region. Our iconic streetcars are moving historic landmarks and the St. Charles Streetcar line maintains is distinction as one of the oldest continuously operating rail lines in the world. At present, the RTA system includes five streetcar lines, 34 bus routes, and two ferry routes, and we offer paratransit services. Our passengers take more than 19 million rides every year.

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